Remarks by Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen at Bilateral Meeting with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy

As Prepared for Delivery

President Zelenskyy, thank you for your warm welcome.  Thank you for the leadership you have shown the world since the beginning of this illegal and unprovoked war.

Ukraine’s fight is our fight – for our shared values of democracy, the right to self-determination, and for an international order that advances peace and prosperity.

Ukraine is on the frontlines of freedom, and your people have paid an incredible price in that struggle.

I bring to Kyiv a clear message from President Biden and the American people: We will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.

We are matching our words with actions. The U.S. is proud to be Ukraine’s largest bilateral donor. To date, the United States has provided close to $50 billion in assistance to Ukraine.

During my visit to Kyiv, I am particularly focused on our close partnership in providing economic and budgetary support.

To date, we have provided over $14 billion in economic assistance. In the coming months, we will disburse an additional over $8 billion in economic support.

We are committed to providing you with the security assistance you need to defend your country. But we also know that resistance on the frontlines isn’t possible without a strong and stable home front: an economy that functions, and a government that continues to provide vital services.

We know that you and your Administration have taken steps to cut non-essential spending and implement prudent policies to stabilize your economy.

We also commend your focus on rooting out corruption and implementing the necessary reforms to stabilize the Ukrainian economy.

America and our global coalition will continue to step in to fill the gaps that exist in the face of Russia’s military and economic assault.

As you have said, our support is not “charity.”  It’s an “investment in global security and democracy.”

Now more than ever, it is vital that the world redoubles its commitment in support of Ukraine and the cause of freedom.

Thank you, President Zelenskyy.