Yellen tells Ukraine's Zelenskiy: anti-corruption fight is key to future

MARRAKECH, Morocco – U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Wednesday pledged continued U.S. support for Ukraine for “as long as it takes,” and urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to stay focused on fighting corruption and strengthening governance.

Yellen said the fourth meeting of a high-level roundtable on Ukraine, taking place during the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, reflected “continued condemnation of Russia’s aggression and of the robust international support for Ukraine from its allies and partners.”

She said the United States would continue to provide robust economic support to Ukraine, but countries affected by Russia’s blockade of Ukrainian food exports also needed more help.

She welcomed Zelenskiy’s clear focus on fighting corruption and strengthening accountability and good governance, adding, “Continuing to address these difficult issues will be key to delivering the future that Ukrainians deserve.”

She said Ukraine’s economic team had delivered sound policies and solid results in an unbelievably challenging situation, citing what she called the country’s “positive” performance on its $15.6 billion loan program from the IMF.

The IMF program had been key for delivering macro stability and advancing reforms, Yellen said, noting that continued work on these reforms would be “essential to recovery and reconstruction.”

Yellen welcomed the European Union’s pledge of 50 billion euros over four years for Ukrainian economic assistance and recovery. “As an international community, we must continue to provide Ukraine the significant, predictable, and timely financial support it needs to keep the government running,” she said, adding that the Western coalition would also keep working to restrict Russia revenues. REUTERS

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