The United States intends to allocate more than $322 million in military assistance to Ukraine, the US State Department has announced following a visit to Ukraine by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
“Secretary Blinken told President Zelensky that the United States intends to provide more than $713 million in foreign military financing (FMF) to Ukraine and 15 other allies and partner nations in Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkans. This includes $650 in funding million USD, provided in accordance with the Law on additional appropriations for Ukraine of 2022,” the statement on the website of the US State Department said on Monday.
It is noted that more than $22 million in this commitment is intended for Ukraine and will provide the capacity support that the country needs as Russian forces focus their attention on the Donbas. The State Department indicated that this assistance will also help the Armed Forces of Ukraine switch to more advanced weapons and air defense systems. In addition, the funding will also help NATO allies replenish the capabilities they have transferred to Ukraine from their own stockpiles.
“Additionally, Secretary Blinken told President Zelensky that the agency notified Congress on April 24 of a sale of up to $65 million worth of non-standard munitions to Ukraine,” the US State Department said.
At the same time, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin informed the Ukrainian government that the US Department of Defense will expand military training for Ukrainian military personnel in the region on certain weapon systems.
“He highlighted US efforts to speed up the delivery of these weapons, which are now arriving within days of the announcement. And he stressed that, along with our allies and partners, the United States will continue to coordinate the delivery of additional heavy weapons, ammunition and spare parts from other countries.” , – noted in the message of the State Department.
Austin also presented Ukrainian leaders with the agenda for the Defense Consultative Meeting to be held this week in Germany. The consultative meeting, convened by the United States, will review the operational picture on the ground and review Ukraine’s short-term defense needs, as well as provide participants with an opportunity to explore ways in which Ukraine’s long-term national security interests can be best served.
“Saw the courage and resilience of the Ukrainian people during my visit to Kyiv with Secretary of Defense Austin. During our meeting with President Zelensky, we reaffirmed our unwavering support for Ukraine as it resists Russian aggression,” Blinken tweeted on Monday.
Since the start of Russia’s new invasion of Ukraine on February 24, the US has provided approximately $7 billion in security assistance and has provided more than $4.3 billion since the Biden administration came to power.
Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmygal discussed with US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo the development of bilateral trade and the reduction of trade barriers.
“Denis Shmihal noted the importance of continuing and strengthening sanctions pressure on Russia in order to reduce its ability to finance the war against Ukraine. An important blow to bleed the Russian economy and the Russian military machine should be the sanctions of the energy sector. According to the head of government, this concerns the imposition by partner countries of an embargo on the import of oil, gas, coal and nuclear fuel from Russia,” the government’s press service said in a statement.
Shmyhal urged countries to look for ways to diversify sources of nuclear fuel supplies to reduce dependence on Russia.
The prime minister also focused on the need to identify and eliminate any loopholes and potential opportunities for Russia to circumvent the already imposed sanctions.
“Russia is trying to adapt to some sanctions with the help of certain countries and companies. We will work with our partners to eliminate such opportunities for Russia,” he stressed.
It is noted6 that one of the most important tracks, according to Shmyhal, is a large-scale restriction of Russia’s trade opportunities while expanding the opportunities for unhindered trade for Ukraine by reducing import quotas and barriers for strategic sectors of Ukrainian industry.
According to him, along with the financial support of international partners, it is equally important for Ukraine to open new markets for Ukrainian-made products, in particular, this applies to products of the steel industry and the agro-industrial complex.
In particular, Shmyhal noted that the release of Ukrainian steel from US duties would allow for a stable supply of metallurgical enterprises with orders, and thousands of Ukrainian metallurgists with jobs.
COOPERATION, PM, UKRAINE, US
The United States is launching a new program for the admission of refugees from Ukraine, which is designed to supplement the ways of entry for them into the country, US President Joe Biden said on Thursday.
“We have already accepted tens of thousands of Ukrainians, and today I am announcing the Unite for Ukraine program, a new program that will allow Ukrainians seeking refugee status to travel directly from Europe to the United States,” he said.
“This new program will complement the existing routes of entry available to Ukrainians,” Biden said.
Earlier, the United States announced its readiness to accept 100,000 Ukrainian refugees.
The US authorities believe that they have already introduced the bulk of the sanctions against the Russian Federation, and now it is necessary to achieve their implementation, Jake Sullivan, US presidential adviser on national security, said on Thursday.
“We believe that we have adopted the main sanctions, and in the coming days we will focus our attention on trying to avoid their action,” Sullivan was quoted by Western media as saying at the Economic Club forum in Washington.
According to him, in the coming two weeks, the US administration will announce measures to identify those who help the Russian Federation to circumvent the sanctions imposed because of the full-scale war unleashed by the Russian Federation against Ukraine and because of the aggression of Russian troops shocking the world.
“I think that in the next one or two weeks we will announce those who contribute to the circumvention of sanctions both in Russia and abroad,” the adviser stressed.
American farmers plan to significantly increase sunflower crops this year due to supply disruptions amid Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine, Bloomberg writes.
At the same time, a jump in agricultural prices to record levels for many years could increase motivation among farmers to plant more, said John Sandbakken, executive director of the National Sunflower Association. The USDA tentatively forecasts a 10% increase in sunflower acreage this year.
“I’m sure the increase will be more, almost 20%,” Sandbakken said in a telephone interview with Bloomberg.
Sunflower is used in a very wide range of products, from potato chips and sunflower oil for frying to bird food and shampoos. However, this year this commodity may be in short supply, as Ukrainian farmers are forced to reduce acreage and exports due to hostilities in the country. Ukraine is considered one of the world’s largest sunflower exporters.
Meanwhile, last year’s devastating drought in the northern Great Plains of the United States plays into the hands of American farmers this year, as it left excess nitrogen in the ground, which reduces fertilizer costs, Bloomberg notes.
The price of new crop sunflower in the US is about $34 per 100 pounds (about 45 kg), higher than the previous record price of $30.5 reached in 2008. Old crop sunflower prices are also nearing their highest since 2011, Sandbakken notes.
U.S. President Joe Biden announced on Tuesday a ban on the import of Russian oil into the United States. In a press statement in Washington on Tuesday, he stated: “Today I am announcing new sanctions. We ban all oil imports. The measure has strong bipartisan support. We made this decision in close consultation with allies in Europe.”
At the same time, Biden noted that “our European allies may not be in a position to join us.”
The U.S. President called on Congress to pass a $12 billion aid package for Ukraine. He noted that the United States has already provided Ukraine with a $1 billion security assistance package and is coordinating actions in this area with European allies.
Speaking about the impact of sanctions on Russia, Biden noted that “the Russian economy has cracked.” “The Central Bank of Russia is trying to support the ruble, but cannot do it now. We are restricting Russians’ access to technology, which will weaken its military for many years to come.” “If we don’t confront Putin now, the situation will get even worse,” he said.
BAN, BIDEN, IMPORT, RUSSIAN OIL, US
