US Treasury Secretary Visits Kyiv, Says 'America Will Stand With Ukraine As Long As It Takes’

Yellen, who visited Kyiv on Monday, reaffirmed the US support and lauded President Volodymyr Zelensky "for his leadership and resolve in the face of Russia's illegal and unprovoked war."

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen made it to Kyiv in a surprise visit on Monday to reaffirm the US support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia's invasion and promote US economic aid that is aiding Ukraine's war effort.

Yellen interacted with President Volodymyr Zelensky, finance minister Serhiy Marchenko, and other key government officials as the war moved into its second year, reported news agency Reuters, Yellen reiterated the US assurances offered by President Joe Biden just a week ago in the war-torn nation.

"America will stand with Ukraine as long as it takes," Yellen told Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal during the trip which also aimed at raising support at home for continued aid.

Yellen, who met Zelensky late in the afternoon, lauded him "for his leadership and resolve in the face of Russia's illegal and unprovoked war."

The US Treasury Secretary also welcomed Zelensky's move to strengthen governance and address corruption, as such are much needed to ensure that US economic aid is being spent responsibly, a message she repeated in her meeting with Marchenko.

"The United States has been powerfully supporting us since the first days of this war not only with weapons but also on the financial front," Zelenskiy said on his Telegram social media channel. "It is necessary to further strengthen sanctions to deprive Russia of the ability to finance the war."

The PM said both leaders discussed additional sanctions on Russia, including confiscating frozen Russian assets to benefit Ukraine's recovery. However, Yellen noted significant legal obstacles to fully seizing some $300 billion in Russian frozen central bank assets and expressed caution about new curbs on Russia's nuclear energy sector.

Yellen also announced the transfer of the first $1.25 billion from the latest, $9.9 billion tranche of economic and budget assistance from Washington.

In his visit last week, Biden promised $500 million in additional military support for Ukraine and new sanctions on Russia later, including effectively banning US imports of Russian aluminum.