IMF chief Georgieva to meet with Ukraine's Zelenskiy on Monday -IMF spokesperson
WASHINGTON : International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief Kristalina Georgieva will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Washington on Monday, an IMF spokesperson said, as the fund's executive board prepared to release more funds from the country's US$15.6 billion loan program.
- An IMF spokesperson confirmed Georgieva's meeting with Zelenskiy, but gave no time for that meeting or the meeting where the IMF board will review Kyiv's progress on a four-year Extended Fund Facility loan approved earlier this year.
The IMF last month announced a staff-level agreement with Ukraine on updated economic and financial policies, paving the way for a US$900 million disbursement, once it is finalized by the board.
At the time, the IMF said the Ukrainian economy continued to show "remarkable resilience" despite Russia's invasion in February 2022, with recent developments pointing to a stronger-than-expected economic recovery in 2023 and continued growth in 2024.
Zelenskiy is also scheduled to meet with U.S. President Joe Biden and top congressional officials while in Washington as he seeks to shore up support for continued U.S. security assistance to help Kyiv continue its fight against Russia's invasion.
Zelensky issues plea for support during US visit as Ukraine funding stalls
- ‘If there’s anyone inspired by unresolved issues on Capitol Hill, it’s just Putin and his secret clique,’ Zelensky said at the National Defence University
- Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said US commitment to Ukraine is unshakeable and supporting the war is critical to ensuring security of US and allies
Zelensky issues plea for support during US visit as Ukraine funding stalls
- ‘If there’s anyone inspired by unresolved issues on Capitol Hill, it’s just Putin and his secret clique,’ Zelensky said at the National Defence University
- Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said US commitment to Ukraine is unshakeable and supporting the war is critical to ensuring security of US and allies
His time in Washington, which will include meetings on Tuesday at the White House and with Congress, is part of a last-minute push by the Biden administration to convince lawmakers to pass a supplemental funding bill, as officials warn that the money for Ukraine is running out.
US President Joe Biden has asked Congress for US$61.4 billion for wartime funding for Ukraine as part of a US$110 billion package that also includes money for Israel and other national security priorities. But the request is caught up in a debate over US immigration policy and border security. The US has already provided Ukraine US$111 billion for its fight against Russia’s 2022 invasion.
“If there’s anyone inspired by unresolved issues on Capitol Hill, it’s just (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and his secret clique,” Zelensky told an audience of military leaders and students at the National Defence University. “Ukrainians haven’t given up and won’t give up. We know what to do. And you can count on Ukraine. And we hope just as much to be able to count on you.”
- Zelensky said Russian President Vladimir Putin was not only fighting against Ukraine but was targeting a free and united Europe.
- Putin is not only destroying the lives of people in Ukrainian cities - his real target is democracy and freedom, Zelensky said.
- “He’s spreading this ideology, looking for allies even here in America. His weapon against you right now is propaganda and disinformation,” Zelensky said.
- “When the free world hesitates, that’s when dictatorships celebrate,” Zelensky warned.
“America’s commitments must be honoured. America’s security must be defended. And America’s word must be kept,” Austin said.
“We are determined to show the world that America will not flinch in our defence of freedom,” Austin said during a speech at a military university.
Austin said Zelensky is “living proof that a single person’s leadership can help rally an embattled democracy and inspire the free world and change the course of history.”
Exclusive-European lawmakers send plea to Congress on Ukraine aid
President Joe Biden has urged Congress to act by the year's end and Democrats in Congress were trying to win approval of about US$50 billion in new security assistance for Ukraine.
- European Union leaders will meet for a summit in Brussels on Thursday and Friday to decide on proposals to grant 50 billion euros of economic support to Kyiv, assign a further 20 billion euros to Ukraine's military and launch accession talks.
- But for that they would need to convince Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who touts his ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin and has threatened to veto the aid and enlargement talks.
PARIS : More than a hundred senior European lawmakers will send a joint letter to their counterparts in the United States on Tuesday, pleading for Congress to unlock further military aid to Ukraine at a time U.S. lawmakers have struggled for a deal.
The open letter, reviewed by Reuters, was signed by lawmakers from at least 17 countries including France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Ireland, and is a sign of mounting concerns in Europe about the continuity of U.S. support to Ukraine.
It also comes just as Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy flies to Washington to make his case, ahead of a tight deadline for Congress, which is scheduled to go into recess for the year by Friday.
- "We hear the concerns expressed by our American friends.
- For years, American leaders, Democrats and Republicans, have asked Europeans to take more responsibility for their own security.
- We agree with this legitimate request," the lawmakers, led by Benjamin Haddad, a French MP in President Emmanuel Macron's party, said in the letter.
- The European lawmakers, which also include Germany's Michael Roth, the chairman of the Bundestag Foreign Affairs Committee, as well as Giulio Tremonti, his Italian counterpart, said Europeans had contributed as much as the U.S. on Ukraine since Russia's invasion.
"Moreover, military spending has risen all across Europe," they said. "American military aid however is critical and urgent."
The next round of Ukraine aid has been held up by a demand from House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson and other Republicans that no more funds be dispatched unless steps are first taken to harden the U.S. border with Mexico.
Zelensky discusses Ukraine's financial needs with IMF Managing Director
President of Ukraine met with IMF Managing Director — Official website of the President of Ukraine
Zelensky issues plea for support during Washington visit as Ukraine funding stalls in Congress - The Boston Globe
No comments:
Post a Comment