The United States announces 1.3 billion dollars (1.2 billion euros) in aid to the Ukrainian economy. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced this on Wednesday at the International Conference for the Reconstruction of Ukraine in London. This aid is intended primarily for the country’s essential infrastructure.
“As long as Russia continues to destroy, we will be there to help Ukraine rebuild: rebuild lives, rebuild their country, rebuild their future,” said Antony Blinken.
A little less than half of this new American support ($520 million) will be intended in particular to rebuild the country’s energy infrastructure, while $657 million will be mobilized to “modernize” the railway, ports, borders. and “all essential infrastructure that connects the country with Europe”, detailed the Secretary of State.
The rest of the funds will go to supporting Ukrainian businesses and funding ways to digitize the Ukrainian administration, including to “remove corruption”, he added, a clear message to Ukrainian leaders, whom he called on to pursue reforms in this direction.
Since the beginning of the Russian invasion, the United States has already released more than 20 billion dollars to support Ukraine’s economy and development, and more than 40 billion for military support alone.
But, like the other leaders who preceded him on the podium of the conference, the British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak or the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, he called on the private sector to engage.
“While governments and financial institutions have an important role to play in rebuilding Ukraine, only the private sector can mobilize the level of investment needed to meet the country’s massive needs,” Blinken insisted.
The head of the American diplomacy also insisted on the fact that Russia will have to pay for the damage caused by its aggression of Ukraine. “Russia is responsible for the destruction of Ukraine. And Russia will ultimately have to bear the cost of rebuilding Ukraine,” he said.
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