94Ha Viewpoint
The Biden administration told Congress it plans to cancel $4.65 billion in debt owed by Ukraine, according to a letter obtained by Bloomberg. This is the latest in a series of moves to boost support for Kiev before Trump takes office.
The White House will cancel half of the $9 billion loan it provided to Ukraine as part of a $60 billion supplementary plan approved in April.
In a letter to Congress on Monday (November 18), the US State Department said that canceling the debt “is in the national interest of the United States and its European Union, Group of Seven, and NATO partners to help Ukraine win.”
The move is part of Biden’s broader efforts to provide more support to Kiev before Trump returns to the White House in January next year. Trump has said his top priority is to push Russia and Ukraine for peace talks, and Kiev supporters worry that he may cut off aid to promote this effort.
In recent days, Biden agreed to allow Ukraine to use long-range missiles provided by the United States to strike targets deep in Russia. The U.S. government announced on Wednesday (20th) a new security assistance plan worth $275 million, which includes anti-personnel mines.
