US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba hold a joint press conference in Kyiv, Ukraine, on May 15, 2024. (Photo: Reuters) |
The 2 billion USD will come mainly from the 61 billion USD appropriated for Ukraine last month.
Blinken said the new funding, in the form of a "first-of-its-kind defense enterprise fund," comes at a crucial time and will help Kyiv get the weapons it desperately needs right now. It will strengthen Ukraine's capacity to produce what it needs for itself, he said, adding that Kyiv can use the money to buy arms from other countries.
Blinken reaffirmed US support for the Ukraine peace summit to be held in mid-June in Switzerland, adding that he anticipates a meeting between President Biden and President Zelenskiy in the coming weeks. “Among other things, we want to sign the bilateral security agreement that we’re on the verge of concluding”, he said.