US gives $20bn to Ukraine funded by seized Russian assets

The US has fixed $20bn (£15bn) to Ukraine, funded by the profits of seized Russian assets.

The economical enactment forms a important portion of a $50bn (£39bn) bundle agreed by G7 subordinate nations announced successful June.

Funding the assistance done frozen assets means Russia has to "bear the costs of its amerciable war, alternatively of taxpayers," US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said.

It comes a substance of weeks earlier US President Joe Biden is replaced by Donald Trump, who has said helium wants to end the warfare successful Ukraine rapidly upon taking office.

The president-elect has characterised fiscal enactment to Kyiv arsenic a drain connected US resources, casting uncertainty connected whether assistance volition proceed nether the caller administration.

The US Treasury said connected Tuesday that it had transferred the $20bn to a World Bank fund, wherever it volition beryllium disposable for Ukraine to gully from.

Money handled by the World Bank cannot beryllium utilized for subject purposes.

The medication had hoped to dedicate fractional of the wealth to subject aid, the Reuters quality bureau reported, but this would person required support from Congress.

There were months of delay, amid governmental wrangling successful the House of Representatives, earlier $61bn of subject assistance for Ukraine was approved successful April.

The $20bn volition springiness the state "a captious infusion of support" arsenic it defends itself "against an unprovoked warfare of aggression," Yellen said successful a connection connected Tuesday.

It follows months of treatment among the US and its allies, including the EU, connected however to usage the astir $325bn (£276bn) worthy of assets that were frozen since Russia's full-scale penetration of Ukraine began successful 2022.

In October, the G7 agreed to usage the involvement generated by the assets – astir $3bn (£2.4bn) a twelvemonth – to money $50bn successful recognition implicit 30 years. Payments were expected to commencement by the extremity of the year.

The EU has committed much than €18bn (£15bn) funded successful the aforesaid way.

The $50bn is intended to guarantee Ukraine has "the resources it needs to prolong exigency services, hospitals, and different foundations of its brave resistance," Yellen said.

It comes astatine a captious juncture for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's forces, who person been ceding territory recently.

Moscow has been retaking ground successful eastbound Ukraine and successful Russia's Kursk - which Ukrainian forces launched an violative successful implicit the summertime - portion Ukrainian troops person painted a dismal representation of the war's frontlines.