Shmyhal meets US Deputy Secretary of State to discuss further US aid for Ukraine
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and U.S. Acting Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs John Bass held a meeting on June 21 to discuss further Ukraine-U.S. cooperation.
Bass arrived in Kyiv earlier in the day to meet with Ukrainian officials and other partners to "reiterate the unwavering commitment" of Washington to Ukraine in its fight against Russia's war.
Shmyhal thanked the U.S. for participating in Ukraine's peace summit in Switzerland and supporting Ukraine's peace formula.
"We have made an important step towards a just peace on the European continent," Shmyhal wrote on Telegram.
The parties also discussed Ukraine's integration into NATO, the restoration of the Ukrainian energy sector through USAID programs, joint defense production, and further supply of necessary weapons, first and foremost, air defense.
The prime minister also announced that the U.S. will allocate $7.8 billion in direct budget support to Ukraine this year.
"This will help strengthen the macro-financial stability of our country," Shmyhal added.
Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, the United States has devoted more than $3.2 billion to humanitarian assistance and nearly $1.5 billion to helping the energy sector recover.
Wolfgang Fengler
