US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Monday that her first visit to Ukraine underscored Washington’s commitment to maintaining its economic support for the country, as air-raid sirens blared across the street. Ukrainian capital.
Yellen said after talks with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal that the United States has provided nearly $50 billion in security, economic and humanitarian assistance and announced another multi-billion dollar package to boost the country’s economy.
Shmyhal thanked the United States for its support and praised Yellen as a “friend of Ukraine.” She indicated that Ukraine’s budget deficit is now $38 billion and that the United States will provide another $10 billion in assistance by September.
Shmyhal and Yellen also discussed sanctions intended to weaken Russia’s economy, as well as the possibility of using frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine’s economic recovery.
Yellen repeated US President Joe Biden’s message that Washington will support Ukraine for as long as it takes. He stressed the importance of fighting corruption and praised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for enacting measures to ensure transparency in how aid is spent.
The US official also visited a renovated school whose windows were blown out by the shock wave of a Russian missile that landed nearby in March. She also announced an additional transfer of $1.2 billion, the first payment of the $10 billion assistance package.
“Maintaining an effective government is critical to Ukraine’s ability to respond to Russian attacks and other emergencies,” Yellen said. “Our financial support is to keep essential public services running. These services maintain economic and social stability in Ukraine.”
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