On February 18, Ukraine imposed a ban on the import of poultry meat and by-products from the United States after an outbreak of avian flu on a turkey farm in Indiana on February 10.
As reported on the website of the Public Health Center (PHC), the ban applies to the import of hatching eggs, birds, products from it (with the exception of products that have been processed by a method that guarantees the destruction of the causative agent of the specified disease), feed, as well as by-products of the poultry industry.
According to the State Customs Service, in 2021 Ukraine imported $122,000 worth of poultry meat and offal from the United States, becoming Ukraine’s 15th trading partner in terms of imports, while Poland ($40.6 million) and Hungary became the largest ($10.3 million).
Avian influenza is an acute infectious viral disease of birds, characterized by damage to the digestive and respiratory organs and high mortality. Influenza affects birds of any age, and the mortality rate for the disease reaches 80-100%.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has said that he does not feel pressure from the United States on the economic interaction between Ukraine and China.
“I’m not saying that there are no signals from the United States regarding the relations of any countries in Europe with China. I’m not saying that there is no such thing, but we are a fairly independent country that chooses business partners for itself. If business is transparent and open and it creates additional jobs for Ukraine, this is a priority,” Zelensky said at the Yalta European Strategy Forum in the YES Brainstorming 2021 format in Kyiv on Friday.
Ukraine expects to start free trade negotiations with the United States during the visit of President Volodymyr Zelensky to the United States, First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Economy Oleksiy Liubchenko has said.
“During the president’s visit to the United States, we want to reach an agreement to start free trade negotiations with the United States,” Liubchenko said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
In addition, Ukraine has carried out preliminary work to expand the free trade area (FTA) with Canada.
“I hope this year we will complete negotiations on expanding the FTA to include services and mutual protection of investments,” the first deputy prime minister said.
He added that Canada is interested in this, since it has great investment potential, concentrated in private pension funds.
The United States House of Representatives has voted to increase the amount of financial assistance to Ukraine. American parliamentarians also supported amendments to the sanctions against Nord Stream 2, the Ukrainian Embassy in the United States said on Facebook.
“According to the bill, the total amount of funds to be allocated for the implementation of assistance programs to Ukraine through the Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development and related programs is at least $481.5 million, which is $28.5 million more than this year,” the report says.
Of this estimate, $125 million will be allocated as assistance to Ukraine for security-related purposes, under the article “International military financing,” which is $10 million more than in 2021.
To enter into force, the bill must be agreed and approved by the U.S. Senate and signed by U.S. President Joe Biden.
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, JOE BIDEN, NORD STREAM-2, UNITED STATES, UNITED STATES HOUSE
Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States Oksana Markarova signed an agreement on the lease of the premises, which will house the new consulate of Ukraine in the state of Texas, according to the Ukrainian Embassy in the United States.
“Today we took another important step towards the opening of the Consulate General of Ukraine in Houston, Texas. Ambassador Oksana Markarova signed a lease agreement for the premises where the new foreign diplomatic institution of Ukraine in the United States will officially be located,” the message on the Facebook social network says.
“We are very pleased with the opportunity to increase and develop the Ukrainian presence in the American regions. South America has a large and active Ukrainian society, as well as great potential for the development of new strategic directions of the Ukrainian-American partnership,” the embassy said.
The United States will continue to work with Ukraine on a wide range of common interests, U.S. Charge d’Affaires in Ukraine Kristina Kvien has said.
“As President Biden’s administration has affirmed, the United States remains committed to Ukraine as one of our closest partners and friends, and we continue to work together across the full range of our extensive mutual interest,” Kvien said in a video statement at Kyiv Security Forum hosted by Arseniy Yatsenyuk’s Open Ukraine Foundation on Wednesday.
According to U.S. Charge d’Affaires, today it can be recognized that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has faced challenges on the way to resolving the conflict in eastern Ukraine and fighting corruption, which causes “a significant obstacle to inclusive economic growth and Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic integration.”
“On fight against corruption, we have witnessed persistent attacks by vested interests who seek to undermine the independence and effectiveness of Ukraine’s anticorruption infrastructure, and an effort to avoid accountability for their corrupt behavior,” the diplomat said.
Kvien commended the Verkhovna Rada’s adoption in the first reading of the reform of the Security Service of Ukraine, as well as Zelensky’s commitment to conduct a comprehensive judicial reform, which is a very necessary step to reduce corruption in Ukraine.
She said the main directions of the U.S. policy towards Ukraine have broad bipartisan support in Washington. “United States should, in coordination with international financial institutions, EU and G7 continue to provide assistance to help Ukraine build modern democratic economy that is fully compatible with EU standards and norms. That assistance should be linked to effective reform measures,” the U.S. Charge d’Affaires in Ukraine said.
She recalled that since 2014, the United States has provided assistance to Ukraine totaling $4.5 billion and pledged that the United States will continue to provide this assistance to advance reforms and strengthen security.
Kvien said the new U.S. leadership is actively supporting Ukraine, as discussed by U.S. President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. She also said that recently it was announced that Ihor Kolomoisky was included in the sanctions list.
