Janet Yellen Says US Will Provide $10B In Additional Aid To Ukraine To Fight Putin

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Thursday called for increased financial support for Ukraine to help the war torn nation in its fight against Vladimir Putin. 

What Happened: Yellen, who is currently in India for the G20 finance chiefs meeting, at a news conference, said the International Monetary Fund, or IMF, should “move swiftly” towards a fully financed loan programme for Ukraine.

“As President Biden has said, we will stand with Ukraine in its fight — for as long as it takes,” Yellen said, adding, “Continued, robust support for Ukraine will be a major topic of discussion during my time here in India.”

See Also: Xi Jinping Planning To Meet Putin In April To Broker Peace Talks With Ukraine: WSJ

The comments from Yellen came as Ukraine Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Kyiv is rooting for a $15 billion multi-year IMF programme, after meeting IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva.

The Treasury chief said Washington's military, economic and humanitarian aid totaling $46 billion has allowed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to preserve Ukraine's economic and financial stability under “extraordinary circumstances.”

“Our economic assistance is making Ukraine's resistance possible by supporting the home front: funding critical public services and helping keep the government running. In the coming months, we expect to provide around $10 billion in additional economic support for Ukraine,” Yellen said.

Meanwhile, President Joe Biden said Putin calling off participation in a nuclear arms treaty is not a signal of his Russian counterpart considering using nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

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