Moves come as Russia denies US claims that is looking for a pretext to invade Ukraine.
The United Kingdom has begun supplying Ukraine with anti-tank weapons and Canada has reportedly deployed a small contingent of special forces to Kyiv amid concerns of a possible invasion by Russia.
The developments came as Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov angrily rejected claims by the United States last week that Moscow was preparing a pretext to invade Ukraine if diplomacy failed to meet its objectives.
While Moscow – which has deployed 100,000 troops near its border with Ukraine – denies plans for an attack against Ukraine, it has said it could take unspecified military action unless the West agrees to a list of demands, including banning Kyiv from ever joining NATO.
Russia views NATO’s expansion eastwards as an existential threat.
But Washington and its allies have firmly rejected Moscow’s demands and Russia-US negotiations in Geneva and a related NATO-Russia meeting in Brussels ended last week without a breakthrough.
Kyiv has since asked Western countries for arms to help it protect itself.
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