Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked his American counterpart Joseph Biden for the support of the Ukrainian people.
“Joseph Biden, thank you for the support of our people!” he wrote in his telegram channel.
According to the Ukrainian commander-in-chief, “this visit is carried out on the eve of the new year, which can be extremely important for Ukraine.”
“I’m sure that together we can achieve significant results,” Zelensky stressed.
As reported, Biden and First Lady Jill Biden welcomed the president of Ukraine to the White House on the South Lawn. Biden said that the American people, both Democrats and Republicans, were proud to support Ukrainians.
The World Bank (WB) has set up a multilateral trust fund to support the Ukrainian government, the WB said in a statement.
The fund has attracted $250 million in seed financing.
“The Ukraine Recovery, Rehabilitation and Reform Trust Fund (URTF), which will be managed by the WB, will provide a coordinated mechanism for financing and supporting government activities,” the WB said in a press release.
According to the Swiss government’s commitments to the founding contribution and contributions from the governments of Austria, Iceland, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden, the initial total amount of the fund is $250 million.
Canada and Japan have also pledged to support the URTF. Other partners are expected to join, the report said.
As the bank notes, due to the uncertainty of the situation in Ukraine, Kiev’s partners have to take a long-term approach to supporting the government’s efforts. Therefore, the fund has the structure of a flexible platform, which will provide the ability to respond quickly to changing circumstances and the needs of the country in the first 10 years of its operation.
The URTF will operate within the overall Multidonor Fund for Ukrainian Institutions and Infrastructure, which is part of the broader international support for the country and is coordinated by the World Bank group.
The WB recalls that to date it has mobilized $18 billion in emergency financing for Ukraine, taking into account donor commitments, of which more than $13 billion has already been disbursed. The largest donor is the United States.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky at a meeting in Kiev with Slovak Foreign Minister Rostislav Kacher thanked him, the Slovak government and the president for receiving and supporting more than 100,000 Ukrainian displaced persons and helping Ukraine obtain EU candidate state status.
“We are grateful to you for supporting our temporarily displaced people, of whom you now have over 100,000. We are grateful to you also in terms of diplomacy for supporting us without hesitation on our way to the EU – in terms of granting Ukraine the status of an EU candidate state,” Zelensky said.
He also thanked Slovakia for supporting Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion.
“I thank Slovak President Zuzana Chaputova and extend to her warm greetings, the Prime Minister and the entire Cabinet of Ministers who have been and are by our side,” the president added.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is negotiating with municipalities in the de-occupied territories and is ready to support them, EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
“Supporting municipalities is one of the key priorities of the bank’s support in Ukraine. We recently signed a technical cooperation agreement with the city of Mariupol to conduct a loss and needs assessment, which will form the basis of preparations for the reconstruction of the city. We are negotiating with other municipalities, including recently de-occupied territories, and are ready to support them,” she said.
So far, the EBRD is working with a total of 19 municipalities across the country.
“Right now our focus is liquidity financing, but where possible we also continue to support priority investments,” Reno-Basso reported.
The full text of EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso’s interview with Interfax-Ukraine will be published on the website.
Canada has issued CAD500 million in bonds in support of Ukraine, the purchase of which Canadians will help the Ukrainian government continue to provide financial support as well as help rebuild critical infrastructure, according to the Canadian government’s website.
“The Canadian government is issuing $500 million in Ukraine sovereignty bonds today, the prime minister first announced last month. These funds will help the Ukrainian government continue to provide essential services to Ukrainians this winter, such as pensions, fuel purchases and the restoration of energy infrastructure,” the report said.
It is noted that the Canadian government has partnered with participating financial institutions to offer Canadians the opportunity to purchase Ukrainian sovereign bonds with a $100 face value. “Canadians interested in purchasing this bond should contact their investment adviser or financial institution between now and November 29, 2022,” the statement said.
“Canadians who buy Ukrainian sovereign bonds will effectively be purchasing a regular five-year Canadian government bond with a current yield of approximately 3.3%, depending on market conditions at the time of issuance. Canadians can be confident in the safety of their investment, which is fully supported by Canada’s ‘AAA’ credit rating,” the agency explained.
Reportedly, after the completion of the bond issue and subject to negotiations with Ukraine, an amount equal to the proceeds of the bond issue will be transferred to Ukraine through the International Monetary Fund (IMF) account for Ukraine.
For his part, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmygal thanked his colleague Justin Trudeau and Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrysta Freeland for their assistance.
“Today Canada issued $500 million in Ukrainian sovereignty bonds. The proceeds will help provide vital payments and services for Ukrainians this winter. Thanks to Justin Trudeau, Hrysta Freeland and all Canadians for supporting Ukraine,” Shmygal wrote on his Twitter microblog.
As reported on November 18, the Government of Canada began collecting applications to buy five-year bonds worth 500 million Canadian dollars (CAD, about 373.4 million at current exchange rates) – Ukraine Sovereignty Bonds – for financial support for Ukraine, offering to submit them until November 29 through participating financial institutions.
The Government of Canada will issue five-year bonds – Ukraine Sovereignty Bonds – to financially support Ukraine, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said at the XXVII Triennial Congress of Ukrainian Canadians in Winnipeg on Friday.
“Canada remains unwavering in our commitment to support the people of Ukraine in their fight against Putin’s illegal and barbaric invasion, and we will continue to do everything we can to ensure Ukraine has the resources it needs to win. Now, through a bond designated for Ukraine, Canadians can contribute to this critical effort through a new federally backed investment,” Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said in a statement on the Prime Minister’s website.
Trudeau announced that the Government of Canada will issue Ukraine Sovereignty Bonds, which will help the government continue operations, including providing essential services to Ukrainians, like pensions, and purchasing fuel before winter.
The equivalent proceeds from this five-year bond will be channelled directly to Ukraine through the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Administered Account. This builds on the Government of Canada’s CAD 2 billion in financial assistance to Ukraine this year, the report said.
According to it, the new bonds will be offered by the participating financial institutions at denominations and rates to be announced shortly.
Those who decide to invest in this bond will actually purchase a regular five-year Canadian government bond backed by Canada’s AAA credit rating. Canada is the first country in the world outside of Ukraine to offer bonds in support of Ukraine for purchase.
To increase pressure on Putin’s regime, Trudeau also announced that Canada is imposing new sanctions on individuals and entities complicit in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. These new measures will target 35 senior officials of energy entities, including those of Gazprom and its subsidiaries, and six energy sector entities involved in Russia’s ongoing violations of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. “These new measures build on the sanctions we have already implemented against over 1,400 individuals and entities,” he said.
He also announced that Canada intends to impose new sanctions on members of the Russian justice and security sectors, including police officers and investigators, prosecutors, judges, and prison officials, involved in gross and systematic human rights violations against Russian opposition leaders.
Trudeau said that the 39 armoured combat support vehicles (ACSVs) Canada announced for Ukraine in June have started to arrive in Europe, where training for the Ukrainian forces is underway, with the last expected to be delivered end of November. Since February 2022, Canada has committed over CAD 600 million in military assistance to Ukraine. Canada will continue to help Ukraine meet its urgent requirements for military and defence equipment.
The prime minister also said that Canada is allocating $55 million in previously announced funding to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the International Organization for Migration, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and other humanitarian partners to support winterization initiatives. This includes providing shelter and distributing essential items such as blankets, clothing, heating appliances, and fuel.
In addition, the Prime Minister announced the launch of the Canada-Ukraine Science Partnership, which will invite up to 20 Ukraine-based scientists to come work and live in Canada.
According to the report, streamlining current visa and travel requirements, as of October 18, 2022, close to 315,000 applications have been approved.
