Kamala Harris announces $800 million in new aid for Ukraine during Switzerland summit

Vice President Kamala Harris announced $1.5 billion in aid to Ukraine on Friday during a summit in Switzerland, with at least $800 million being new funding for the country, while she met with Volodymyr Zelensky. The announcement comes as the fighting between Russia and Ukraine has escalated, with the Biden administration recently granting Kyiv the ability to use American weapons to strike the interior of Russia.    

The $1.5 billion for Ukraine was designated for the country's energy sector, humanitarian needs, and to "strengthen civilian security." According to a White House press release, "As part of the Summit for Peace in Ukraine and her sixth meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Vice President Kamala Harris is announcing that the United States will provide over $1.5 billion through USAID and the State Department to support the people of Ukraine."   

The funding will include $500 million in new funds for Ukraine's energy sector. Harris also announced that Congress and the State Department are providing $300 million in additional funds to help support "Ukrainian border guards and law enforcement." The funding announced by the Biden administration is not just for the war effort, but also to "rescue civilians targeted by the Kremlin’s attacks, protect critical infrastructure, and investigate the over 120,000 registered cases of war crimes and other atrocities."   
 
$324 million in previously announced funds for emergency provisions. $379 million will go to humanitarian assistance from the State Department and the US Agency for International Development.  

According to Reuters, Harris met with Zelensky in Lucerne, Switzerland as part of a Ukrainian peace summit. She pledged America's support for Ukraine, saying, "This war remains an utter failure for Putin," adding, "It is in our interest to uphold international norms."   

The Biden administration has continually backed Ukraine despite weakening support for the country's war effort against Russia, according to The Hill. Under all the bills passed in Congress as of early May, the US has greenlit around $175 billion to go to the war-torn country, per the Council on Foreign Relations. The country has faced accusations of corruption in its use of the aid that has been sent by other governments.