Yellen Wants $4.5 Billion Ukraine Aid Expedited, Encourages Allies to Follow Suit: United States Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen announced this week that Washington intends to distribute the $4.5 billion in Ukraine aid approved by Congress last month as soon as possible, and called on allies to do the same.
Speaking to Ukrainian Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko on Tuesday, Yellen condemned Russia’s “barbaric” attacks on residential buildings in recent days and reaffirmed continued support from the United States.
“Once again, the world has seen the true nature of Russia’s barbaric and illegal war. The United States continues to stand resolutely with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. We will continue to support you as you rebuild the prosperous and free Ukraine that your country has fought so hard to secure,” Yellen told the Ukrainian official and his delegation before a scheduled meeting.
Earlier this summer, $4.5 billion in financial aid was confirmed by Congress. In a statement, the United States Agency for International Development said that it was designed to “help alleviate the acute budget deficit caused by Putin’s brutal war of aggression.” The statement revealed that the Ukrainian government would be sent the money in tranches, starting with an initial $3 billion disbursement in August.
In September, Congress unveiled a third Ukraine supplemental aid package for the year, which totaled $12.3 billion in military and economic support, with $4.5 billion set aside for Ukraine’s immediate economic needs.
“This bill will keep vital services running for the American people through Dec. 16 and provide critical support for Ukraine while we negotiate a bipartisan, bicameral omnibus appropriations bill,” Senate Appropriations Chairman Patrick Leahy said at the time.
Yellen also announced this week that the United States joined Ukraine’s biggest creditors in deciding to suspend all bilateral debt services payments until the end of 2023, and stressed that international support for Ukraine must remain a “collective effort.”
“We are calling on our partners and allies to join us by swiftly disbursing their existing commitments to Ukraine and by stepping up in doing more – both to help Ukraine continue its essential government services and to help Ukraine begin to build and recover,” Yellen said.
New Package From Canada
The news came just a day before Canada announced a new military aid package for Ukraine worth $47 million CAD.
Canadian Defence Minister Anita Anand announced the package, which builds on the $600 million worth of military equipment already donated by Ukraine so far.
The latest package consists of $15.2 million in military equipment taken from the inventory of the Canadian Armed Forces, including a substantial number of NATO-standard artillery rounds that are compatible with M777 howitzer artillery guns. Hundreds of thousands of pieces of winter clothing will also arrive in Ukraine from Canada, worth $15 million, as well as new drone cameras worth a total of $15.3 million.
M777. Marines with India Battery, Battalion Landing Team 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, prepare to receive a fire mission during MEU Exercise 14 aboard Camp Pendleton, Calif., Nov. 20, 2014. The purpose of MEUEX is to train the different elements of the 15th MEU to work together to complete a wide variety of missions.
(U.S. Marine Corps HDR photo by Sgt. Jamean R. Berry/Released)
40 combat engineers will also be sent to Poland to assist with efforts to train Ukrainian forces on how to repair equipment donated by Europe and the United States.
Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society.
