WASHINGTON, Jan. 10 (TASS) - The US Department of Defense is considering the possibility of providing Stryker armored combat vehicles to Kiev, Politico wrote, citing Pentagon sources.

According to the news outlet, Washington believes that the vehicles could help Ukraine "fend off an expected Russian spring offensive."

"The Strykers may be part of the next tranche of military aid" that could be announced next week. However, "no final decision has been made," the news outlet noted, citing the sources.

Washington and Berlin issued a joint statement following the January 5 phone call between US President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, saying that "the United States intends to supply Ukraine with Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles, and Germany intends to provide Ukraine with Marder Infantry Fighting Vehicles."

According to the Pentagon’s estimates, since the onset of Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine, the US has provided over $24.2 bln in military aid to Kiev. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and other Russian officials have repeatedly pointed out that Western weapons provided to Ukraine might end up in other parts of the world. Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov warned that the West’s militarization of Ukraine posed a direct threat to European and global security.