Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Kerry Offers Aid in Shoring Up Ukrainian Economy

It is hard to say if President Obama will announce United States involvement in Ukraine. Secretary of State, John Kerry has made a direct contribution to Ukraine which would answer the question about United States stand on Ukraine's situation. On Tuesday Secretary of State, John Kerry arrived in Ukraine with an offer of $1 billion in American loans which guarantees Ukraine of United States technical assistance. This loan however doesn't state a direct involvement from United States but giving out a loan for $1 billion in loans I think is pretty clear that United States is in support of Ukraine's effort to integrate with the West and to help offset the reduction of energy subsidies from Russia. United States offering of the billion dollar loan isn't a military support against Russia. It is rather an economic support. United States plans to help Ukraine's national bank and provide assistance for Ukraine on how to fight corruption. This will train Ukraine on how to monition elections that are being planned to happen before May 25. United States is also saying that this assistance to Ukraine is helping them get back what was stolen from them by President Yannukovych and powerful business men. In my opinion, United States is saying that they are going to help Ukraine take back what has been taken from them by the Russians. However, they won't say that because that is a direct attack from United States to Russia and that could start its own conflicts. This visit by John Kerry is a direct symbol that United States is backing up Ukraine but I feel like somehow United States is going to get around direct support for United States not wanting to start conflict with Russia. The most interesting thing about this article and United States loaning out billions of dollars to Ukraine is that Russia holds most of Ukraine's debt and that somehow the money being loaned out to Ukraine can and will end up in Russian institutions and that is something that can not be avoided. It is interesting to see how Russia will react to money being loaned out to Ukraine.

Simona Gudynaite

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/05/world/europe/secretary-of-state-john-kerry-arriving-in-kiev-offers-1-billion-in-loan-guarantees-to-ukraine.html?ref=world&_r=0

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