The United States confirmed on Tuesday that it had given Ukraine $20 billion in funds backed by proceeds from frozen Russian assets. The cash is part of a $50 billion G7 aid package and will arrive 40 days before President Joe Biden leaves the White House.
As Breitbart News reported, President-elect Donald Trump has already signaled that he wants immediate reconciliation between the two combatants rather than funding endless wars. The loan funds come at a critical juncture for Kiev.
President Trump has increasingly questioned the level of financial aid given to Ukraine in the wake of Russia's 2022 invasion, saying over the weekend that he would “probably” cut aid to Kiev.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement: “These funds, paid for with windfall profits from Russia's own inactive assets, provide an infusion of critical support in defending Ukraine from an unprovoked war of aggression. I will do it,” he said.
Yellen added that the G7 loan “will help Ukraine secure the resources it needs to maintain its emergency services, hospitals and other infrastructure of brave resistance,” according to AFP news agency. report.
Visibly delighted, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he was “deeply grateful” for the spending and called it “a powerful act of justice.”
In a separate statement, he added that the aid “will help strengthen Ukraine's defense and protect its sovereignty and people from unprovoked aggression.”
The Treasury Department said the US government has already transferred $20 billion to the World Bank, and that money will be provided to Ukraine through existing funds.
BBC report The financial aid comes at a critical time for Zelenskiy's forces, which have recently been ceding territory.
While Russian forces are retaking positions in eastern Ukraine and Kursk, Russia, where Ukrainian troops launched an offensive over the summer, Ukrainian forces paint a bleak picture of the front lines of the war.
