By David Lawder and Andrea Shalal
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States will provide Ukraine with further direct aid of $500 million to help its government continue critical government operations, on top of $500 million announced by President Joe Biden in March, a U.S. Treasury official said on Thursday.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will make the announcement during a meeting on Thursday with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko, the Treasury official said. U.S. Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo also will attend the meeting.
The new aid will help Ukraine pay government salaries, pensions and fund other programs necessary to avoid a worsening of the humanitarian crisis caused by Russia’s invasion of its southeastern neighbor.
The Biden administration is working with Congress to deploy the direct aid to Ukraine as soon as possible, and will continue working with U.S. lawmakers, allies and other international partners to provide more support in the short, medium and long terms, the Treasury official said.
Shmyhal, who is in Washington to attend the International Monetary Fund and World Bank spring meetings, is also due to meet with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Later, he is due to address an event hosted by the World Bank about Ukraine’s financing needs.
The Treasury official’s statement came after G7 finance ministers on Wednesday announced that they had provided and pledged additional support to Ukraine exceeding $24 billion for 2022 and beyond, and vowed to do more as needed.
International aid for Ukraine between 2014, when Russia seized Crimea from Ukraine, and 2021 exceeded $60 billion, the Treasury official said.
(Reporting by David Lawder and Andrea Shalal; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Andrea Ricci)
