BREAKING: US announcement of additional $1.7 billion in aid to Ukraine faces backlash

THE US government has announced a further $1.7 billion (€1.69 billion) aid package for Ukraine to ‘pay the salaries of its beleaguered health care workers and provide other essential services.’

Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal thanked the US for further aid announced on Tuesday, July 12, however, social media users have been critical of the announcement. The money comes from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Treasury Department and the World Bank.

“1.7 billion dollars of grant aid came to the Ukrainian budget from the Trust Fund of the @WorldBank and @USAID. This is the second US grant in the last two weeks, the total amount of aid is to 3 billion dollars. Grateful to 🇺🇸 & @POTUS for incredible support.”

1.7 billion dollars of grant aid came to the Ukrainian budget from the Trust Fund of the @WorldBank and @USAID. This is the second US grant in the last two weeks, the total amount of aid is to 3 billion dollars. Grateful to 🇺🇸 & @POTUS for incredible support.

— Denys Shmyhal (@Denys_Shmyhal) July 12, 2022

Ukraine’s minister of health, Viktor Liashko, said: “$1.7 billion is not just yet another financial support; it is an investment that makes us a step closer to victory.”

USAID said on Tuesday, July 12: “The United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in coordination with the U.S. Department of the Treasury, provided an additional $1.7 billion to the Government of Ukraine, as part of President Biden’s commitment to President Zelenskyy to provide Ukraine with direct budgetary aid. This contribution was made possible with generous bipartisan support from Congress.”

It continued: “The additional resources provided by the United States, through the World Bank, will alleviate the acute budget deficit caused by Putin’s brutal war of aggression and ensure the Ukrainian government can continue operating and responding to critical needs, including delivery of essential services such as healthcare by paying the salaries of healthcare workers.

“To date, USAID has provided $4 billion in direct budgetary support to the Government of Ukraine. These resources have helped the Ukrainian government continue carrying out core functions – for example, keeping gas and electricity flowing to hospitals, schools, and other critical infrastructure, supporting the provision of humanitarian supplies to citizens, and continuing to pay the salaries of civil servants and teachers.

“Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, USAID has been working closely with humanitarian partners in the country and region to reach Ukrainians with lifesaving humanitarian assistance while also ramping up critical development assistance to respond to cyber attacks and threats to the energy sector, countering disinformation, supporting small businesses and the agriculture sector, documenting human rights violations, meeting essential health needs, and ensuring the continued functioning of local and national government entities.”

“The United States remains committed to supporting Ukraine and its people in the wake of Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified war,” it concluded.

NEWS: The United States, through USAID in coordination with the @USTreasury, provided an additional $1.7 billion to the Government of Ukraine. https://t.co/cJTbc1kIoL

— USAID (@USAID) July 12, 2022

The announcement of further aid, however, has faced some backlash.

One person wrote: “Another $1.7 billion in aid to Ukraine, and 10% for The Big Guy.”

Another $1.7 billion in aid to Ukraine, and 10% for The Big Guy.

— Matthew Kolken (@mkolken) July 12, 2022

While another person joked about money going to Hunter Biden, who recently was alleged to have had his phone password cracked and its content leaked to the 4chan imageboard.

“URGENT: 🇺🇸 US announces additional $1.7 billion in aid to Ukraine: statement. And #HunterBiden spends $30,000 on Ukrainian prostitutes,” the user wrote.

One person said: “we can’t pay our own health workers, but we need to give all our money away, because 2 Eastern European countries from the breakup of the USSR can’t get along with each other. ok.”

https://twitter.com/skbozphd/status/1546859453755973632?s=21&t=FNcN6_yuWbOQzM3e2xu7mA

“Where is $1.7 Billion for our beleaguered economy, healthcare, food security, housing and so on? It seems we are now fully funding Ukraine war for the long duration, yet we know Ukraine is not going to win,” another said.

Where is $1.7 Billion for our beleaguered economy, healthcare, food security, housing and so on? It seems we are now fully funding Ukraine war for the long duration, yet we know Ukraine is not going to win.

— Abdi ibn Said (@AbdiibnSaid1) July 12, 2022

Another Twitter user said: “While US Healthcare workers were being walked out of hospitals and losing their jobs for not taking this shot, Biden pulls THIS👇

“US announces $1.7 BILLION in aid to Ukraine to pay health care workers. * In reality, more money laundering.”

https://twitter.com/americaplayed1/status/1546868825500655617?s=21&t=FNcN6_yuWbOQzM3e2xu7mA

As mentioned, this is one of several aid packages from the US to Ukraine.

On Wednesday, June 1, the US announced a $700 million (€654 million) military aid package for Ukraine which will include HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems) missile systems.

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