WASHINGTON, October 2. /TASS/. The US has essentially put on ice the contracting programs for providing assistance to Ukraine over a long term, said Matthew Miller, a spokesman for the US Department of State.

"While we have the ability to continue to support Ukraine's ability to defend itself in the immediate term, we have already exhausted much of the existing security assistance funding," he told reporters.

Miller said the US now can’t execute "contracting programs that allow us to contract for Ukraine in the long term."

"Funding has been suspended," he said.