WASHINGTON, May 18. /TASS/. Ukraine has become the top recipient of US military aid, surpassing Egypt and Israel, The Washington Post has reported.

According to the paper, US military aid to Kiev amounted to about $2.7 billion in 2014-2021. Since the start of the Russian special military operation, Washington has already provided aid worth $3.8 billion.

The new $40,1-billion aid package currently under consideration allocates approximately $20 billion for military needs.

For comparison, the paper provides the latest data on the issue, for fiscal year 2020 (begins in US on October 1). According to those figures, Israel was the top recipient of US military assistance at that point with $3.3 billion, followed by Egypt ($1.3 billion) and Jordan ($0.5 billion).

On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a special military operation in response to a request for help from the heads of the Donbass republics. He stressed that Moscow had no plans of occupying Ukrainian territories, but aimed to demilitarize and denazify the country. The US and its allies responded with severe sanctions and ramped up weapons supplies to Kiev.

Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov has warned that the West’s efforts to militarize Ukraine are a direct threat to European and global security. Moscow is calling on the sponsors of the Kiev regime to stop promoting bloodshed and think about the consequences of their actions, the diplomat said.