Yellen pushes economic aid in surprise Kyiv visit
STORY: “As we mark one year since the beginning of this full-scale invasion, the message I bring you from President Biden is simple: 'America will stand with Ukraine as long as it takes.'"
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen swept into Kyiv on Monday in a surprise visit to reaffirm U.S. support for Ukraine as it fights Russia's invasion, highlighting U.S. economic aid that is bolstering Ukraine's war effort.
"And today I am proud to announce the transfer of an additional amount of over 1.2 billion dollars. That’s the first tranche of about ten billion dollars in direct support that the United States will provide in the coming months."
Yellen met with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Ukrainian Prime minister Denys Shmyhal.
Shmyhal said the two discussed further U.S. sanctions on Russia as well as "confiscating frozen Russian assets."
Yellen's visit comes a week after U.S. President Joe Biden staged his own unannounced trip to Kyiv and promised $500 million in additional military aid for Ukraine and new sanctions on Russia announced days later, including effectively banning U.S. imports of Russian aluminum.
Yellen visited Kyiv on her way back to Washington from a G20 finance leaders meeting in India, where she urged counterparts to boost economic aid to Ukraine and insisted that G20 ministers issue a strong condemnation of Russia's invasion.
