US contributes USD 1.7 billion to Ukraine

WASHINGTON: The US on Tuesday provided an additional USD 1.7 billion to the Government of Ukraine for the delivery of essential services such as healthcare.

Washington through the US Agency for International Development (USAID) in coordination with the US Department of the Treasury contributed USD 1.7 billion as part of President Joe Biden's commitment to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to provide Ukraine with direct budgetary aid, read the USAID press release.

This contribution was made possible with generous bipartisan support from Congress. The additional resources provided by the US, through the World Bank, will alleviate the acute budget deficit caused by the Russian offensive.

It will ensure the Ukrainian government can continue operating and responding to critical needs, including delivery of essential services such as healthcare by paying the salaries of healthcare workers, added the release.

To date, USAID has provided USD 4 billion in direct budgetary support to the Government of Ukraine.

These resources have helped the Ukrainian government continue carrying out core functions - for example, keeping gas and electricity flowing to hospitals, schools, and other critical infrastructure, supporting the provision of humanitarian supplies to citizens, and continuing to pay the salaries of civil servants and teachers, said the release.

Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, USAID has been working closely with humanitarian partners in the country and region to reach Ukrainians with life-saving humanitarian assistance.

The aid is also ramping up critical development assistance to respond to cyber-attacks and threats to the energy sector, countering disinformation, supporting small businesses and the agriculture sector, documenting human rights violations, meeting essential health needs, and ensuring the continued functioning of local and national government entities, added the release.