Washington, November 21 (IANS). The Biden administration has decided to forgive approximately $4.7 billion of US debt to Ukraine. This is another big step by the US President for Kiev after allowing Ukraine to use long-range missiles.
President Joe Biden has ordered officials to deliver as much aid as possible to Ukraine before leaving office on January 20. The order was given amid concerns that Donald Trump may limit US support after assuming office.
A funding bill passed by the US Congress in April included more than $9.4 billion of forgivable loans for economic and budgetary assistance to the Ukrainian government. The President could cancel half of these after November 15.
The bill appropriates a total of $61 billion to help Ukraine fight Russia through February 2022.
“We have taken action as outlined in law to cancel those debts, however, Congress can still block that action,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said at a press briefing.
Earlier, President Joe Biden gave Ukraine the green signal to use long-range American missiles to attack Russia.
According to American media reports, the US President has taken this decision in response to the ‘alleged’ deployment of thousands of troops by North Korea to help Moscow in the war. Both Seoul and Washington are claiming that North Korean troops deployed in the Kursk region on Russia’s western border have started fighting against Ukrainian forces.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has long demanded that Kiev be allowed to use Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) to strike targets inside Russia. ATACMS can range up to 300 km (186 mi).
–IANS
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