The US Department of Defense sought new proposals from 800 companies to develop new weapons, which they could potentially produce, and commercial capabilities to attempt to gain the upper hand in their proxy war against Russia in Ukraine. 

According to CNN, the US DoD is reviewing 1,300 proposals that include plans for new air defense, anti-armor, anti-tank, anti-personnel, coastal defense, drones, secure communications, and counter-battery weapons. These are all key needs that Ukraine had previously identified, read the report.

Per the report, the Pentagon will pick which options to pursue in the upcoming weeks. The main argument is that should the battle last a long period, the US plans to increase the capability of its industrial base to serve Ukraine's demands. 

Read more: US to announce 'long-term' military reinforcements in Europe

US defense officials met with significant US defense companies earlier this year to talk about the US industrial base's capacity to fund Ukraine's military requirements should the conflict last a long period. Additionally, a $40 billion plan for aid to Ukraine was passed by Congress.

Earlier in US assessment of the Ukrainian Crisis

During the annual NATO summit held in Madrid, from June 28 till June 30th, US President Joe Biden said that the US is enhancing its presence in Europe for the long term to reinforce regional security given the Ukrainian crisis.

At the opening of the summit, Biden met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Madrid where he said that “NATO is strong and united, and the steps we’re taking during this summit, we’re going to further augment our collective strength.” The summit went on to label Russia a "threat" and China a "strategic challenge" in their new Strategic Concept paper. 

Previously in June, National security adviser Jake Sullivan said in a speech at the Center for New American Security (CNAS), a Washington, DC-based lobby group close to the Democratic Party, that the US will continue to help Ukraine “to the maximum extent possible.” Sullivan, also stated that the help his government offered has not only been on the ground but also “ultimately at the negotiating table” adding that the US believed that “this has to end with diplomacy.”

An NBC News report claimed at the beginning of June that some US and European officials were “increasingly concerned that the trajectory of the war in Ukraine is untenable” and were “quietly discussing” asking Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to “temper his hard-line public position” that no territory will ever be ceded to Russia.

Read more: Russia publishes satellite images of West military headquarters