Europe 1 with AFP 14:43 pm, June 21, 2023

Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that the United States will provide $1.3 billion (€1.2 billion) in additional aid to Ukraine's economy, especially its critical infrastructure. A little less than half of this new US support ($520 million) will be used to rebuild the country's energy infrastructure, while $657 million will be mobilized to "modernize" transport.

The United States will provide $1.3 billion (€1.2 billion) in additional aid to Ukraine's economy, especially its critical infrastructure, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Wednesday at the International Conference for the Reconstruction of Ukraine in London. "As long as Russia continues to destroy, we will be there to help Ukraine rebuild: rebuild lives, rebuild its country, rebuild its future," Blinken said.

Rebuilding the country's energy infrastructure

A little less than half of this new American support ($520 million) will be used to rebuild the country's energy infrastructure, while $657 million will be mobilized to "modernize" the railway, ports, borders and "all the essential infrastructure that connects the country with Europe," said the Secretary of State. The rest of the funds will go to support Ukrainian companies and finance the means to digitize the Ukrainian administration, including to "remove corruption", he added, a clear message to Ukrainian leaders, that he called for further reforms in this direction.

Since the beginning of the Russian invasion, the United States has already released more than $20 billion to support Ukraine's economy and development, and more than $40 billion for military support alone. But, like the other leaders who preceded him at the conference, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak or European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, he called on the private sector to get involved. "While governments and financial institutions have an important role to play in Ukraine's reconstruction, only the private sector can mobilise the level of investment needed to meet the country's massive needs," Blinken said.

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The top US diplomat also insisted that Russia will have to pay for the damage caused by its aggression against Ukraine. "Russia is responsible for the destruction of Ukraine. And Russia will ultimately have to bear the cost of rebuilding Ukraine," he said.