Obama team announces $1 billion in aid to Ukraine

[n2doc]

Source: USA Today

WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration announced $1 billion in economic and energy aid to Ukraine on Tuesday, part of its emerging response to Russian military activity in Crimea.

President Obama, aides and allies are also considering a number of economic sanctions against Russia for its incursion into the Crimea region.

The administration announced the assistance package for Ukraine as Secretary of State John Kerry landed in Kiev early Tuesday for talks with the new government.

Treasury Secretary Jack Lew said the United States has been working with allies on a package to "help the Ukrainian government implement the reforms needed to restore financial stability and return to economic growth."



Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2014/03/04/obama-russia-ukraine-1-billion-putin-crimea/6006759/

[Demeter]

1. $17 billion to go...

[dipsydoodle]

7. That's only short term. EU offered a £1 billion too.

IF the country remains undivided, Ukraine accepts the EU deal and ceases exports to Russia then the total long term is foreseen to be c. $220 billion that Ukraine would need.

Makes Greece look like a picnic on a sunny afternoon.

[Demeter]

8. So, only $15.5 BILLION to go

somehow, I don't think the Ukrainian nation can survive on that.

[aristocles]

2. So is this for shovel ready jobs?

[Le Taz Hot]

3. Because no one needs it here . . .

I hate to sound isolationist but this government cut extended unemployment benefits, they've cut food stamps, they've cut veteran's benefits, the sequester is still in effect, the schools are a shambles, the infrastructure is falling down, but we have a billion dollars to send to Ukraine.

[Earth_First]

5. I tend to agree. nt

[Brigid]

6. I must confess . . .

My first thought was exactly the same thing.

[840high]

34. Same here.

[durablend]

9. No doubt

Republicans will INSIST that something here needs to be CUT to pay for it.

And "Team Blue" will agree wholeheartedly.

[go west young man]

12. Ukraine is different than us.

It offers our hedge fund managers (our oligarchs) a more vibrant opportunity to swoop in and procure utilities and services that can generate faster profit margins. Keep up please.

[City Lights]

13. Yup. My first thought, too.

[Democat]

15. Diplomacy is expensive, but war is even more expensive

Hopefully Obama is working on a long term strategy that will avert far more expensive problems in the future.

[Le Taz Hot]

16. And a billion dollars is going to

avert war?

[Iliyah]

17. I dunno

billions of dollars, bitcoin, rubbles, ummmmmmm, compared to millions of lives and destruction to follow, evil does what evil does. Its hard to weigh in the options huh.

We as homo sapiens just can not get along huh. Usually in all the mess these are your usual suspects: money, power, greed, religion.

[Paper Roses]

22. I agree with you. We need this money here, not in other parts of the globe.

When are we ever going to recognize that our citizens need help and that our first responsibility is to our countrymen, not the rest of the globe. Maybe I'm just getting old and do not have a proper grasp on things.
I feel our countrymen should come first. Enough of war and occupation. Billions of dollars spent here could do so much for all Americans.

I am talking about real 'at home' help. Not more pipelines and military armaments. I'm talking about food, clothing, education, ad infinitum.
Sigh.

[CANDO]

40. I agree

But what a shame we have a Republican Party here that insists that we not spend a dime to help our own downtrodden. They get hooked on the assistance, like addicts.....or so they say. Also, they don't want the black man in the White House to succeed, so they refuse to do things their party used to do many times over in the past, like extend UE benefits and spend on infrastructure to stimulate the economy. I find it truly amazing they don't believe in such things now that there's a black man in the White House. They always believed in them in years past. But they're not racists, you see.

[Owl]

23. I agree with you too.

[totodeinhere]

25. Yes it's needed here. In fact a lot more than that is needed here. But that doesn't mean that we

shouldn't also be helping Ukraine in conjunction with the rest of the international community. Putin is a bully who brutally oppresses our LGBT sisters and brothers in Russia and he should not be allowed to take over Ukraine. We need to provide aid to Ukraine as well as apply sanctions against Putin in order to stop him if possible. If we stand by and watch him march into Ukraine then the Baltic States will probably be next. They are NATO members. If that happens what will we do then?

[Le Taz Hot]

27. But what is it accomplishing?

The vast majority of time "foreign aid" goes to American companies. A billion dollars accomplishes nothing.

And I don't believe for one minute that the situation is as simplistic as what you are describing. I'm a reasonably intelligent person and I've been pouring over the news reports from a variety of different sources and, from what they describe, this is a very complex situation. There are no clear "good guys" vs. "bad guys" here. They all seem like bad guys to me the only question is to what degree. The LAST thing we need to do is get involved in this conflict.

[totodeinhere]

29. There is no way that we will be able to avoid getting involved in this situation unless we

totally withdraw our commitment to the security of Europe. Yes it is complex and as is often the case it's hard to tell the good guys form the bad guys. But unless we wish to renounce our commitment to NATO then we are already involved. If you are isolationist enough to want to withdraw from NATO then fine, lets withdraw from NATO and go back to the "fortress America" attitude of the 1930's. But failing that we are involved. Ukraine is not as member of NATO but Poland, Bulgaria and the Baltic Sates are and if Putin is allowed to take Ukraine then those other countries could be next.

[leftynyc]

31. It'll be hard to even get sanctions

approved by Europe. They get too much of their fuel from Russia. I'm in the camp of there are no "good guys" here and we should stay out of it (felt the same way about Syria).

[jeff47]

37. They've had a mild winter, and we're entering spring

That reduces some of the pressure. And our fracking overlords would love it - enough time to build some ships before next winter.

[amandabeech]

75. The Europeans have issued some sactions.

Many of them are trying to find ways to use less Russian oil and gas, because they don't want to be jerked around by a megalomaniac bully who seems to be living in the 18th century.

This cannot be done overnight by any stretch of the imagination, and substitutes will be more expensive.

I'm not sure if you remember the Gulf States/Saudi Arabian/Iranian oil embargoes of the U.S. back in the '70s. It took time, but we diversified away from those countries and now get our oil from a variety of sources so that if we have problems with one or two suppliers, we can still get by. We also have increased our efficiency in the use of oil and gas. I do not see why Europe should not be able to do the same over the long term.

[jeff47]

39. We've got a treaty with Ukraine. You don't need to invoke NATO.

The treaty where Ukraine gave up their ex-Soviet nuclear weapons obligates the US to defend Ukraine from invasion.

[totodeinhere]

47. That's true. But if he moves on NATO countries that will increase the

level of the crisis.

[amandabeech]

76. If Putin moves on NATO countries, the increase in the level of crisis

might be war.

In the NATO treaty, an attack on one is an attack on all. I would expect that Putin will next move against the Baltic Sea countries of Latvia and Estonia. Those two countries were formerly part of the USSR and before that, the Russian Empire. Estonia is on the entrance to the Gulf of Finland which ends at the port of St. Petersburg. Latvia includes the excellent port of Riga on the Baltic Sea which probably still carries a good deal of Russian commercial shipping.

IIRC, Putin has war games going on in Russia very near these two NATO countries right now.

I certainly hope that Putin does not try to invade any NATO country. War is obviously an awful business, and we learned that lesson once again in Iraq and Afghanistan. I hope that we don't have to learn it again.

[EX500rider]

49. "There are no clear "good guys" vs. "bad guys" here" - wrong

If Putin steals land from the Ukraine he's the bad guy.

What did the Ukraine do to Russia exactly?

[okaawhatever]

55. Notice it said part of this is energy aid. I strongly suspect both the US and EU countries are

making sure energy can't be cut off from Russia to force Ukraine's hand. That is a significant development. One of the first press pieces that came out of the propaganda mill was that Russia would cut off gas to Ukraine. Since they've done it a few times before Ukrainians would be especially concerned about that.

[jeff47]

35. Wrong branch of government.

cut extended unemployment benefits

Congress

cut food stamps

Congress

cut veteran's benefits

Congress

the sequester is still in effect

Congress

the schools are a shambles

Congress and states on the spending front. DOE policy is mostly an attempt to work around that problem.

the infrastructure is falling down

Congress

but we have a billion dollars to send to Ukraine.

Executive branch.

But the Republicans thank you for conflating it all under "this government". It is extremely helpful in their efforts to continue doing the same crap.

[Arkana]

46. Thank you.

Of course, the BEST way to respond would be to vote in more Democrats, but the Complainy Pants Keyboard Thunderhawk Brigade will continue to do their "A POX ON ALL YOUR HOUSES!" thing because it's easier to blame "the government" than it is to blame "Republicans in the House and Senate".

[okaawhatever]

54. Thank you for being realistic. nt

[Doctor_J]

64. if the republicans want this, Obama should insist on dollar for

dollar domestic spending.

[amandabeech]

74. It's actually a loan guarantee, not a grant and not even a loan itself.

The guarantee backs a loan from the actual lender. If Ukraine does not pay the loan back, we will be on the hook at that point, but we can then look to Ukraine to pay us back, probably in installments, if things improve in Ukraine. The Europeans are also involved in the Ukrainian aid, so at least we're not going it alone here.

You are right that we need money right here, and I can't argue with your list of very pressing needs.

But I also think that friendly countries sometimes need a hand. That has been particularly true for countries in Eastern Europe coming out from under what we used to call the Iron Curtain, or in Ukraine's case, out from under three or so centuries of being raped and pillaged by Moscow. What we are doing here is cleaning up from the end of the Cold War and the breakup of the Soviet Union/Russian Empire. Plus, Ukraine hasn't hesitated to send what forces it could when asked to contribute by us, NATO and the UN. I believe Iraq was one of those places, unfortunately, but the Ukrainians were showing that they were ready to help. For these reasons, and despite our internal problems, I'm okay with helping them now.

[dipsydoodle]

4. Goody gumdrops

That will help pay off the arrears due to Gazprom for gas used but not paid for.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014744835

That does assume the funds will be in readies and not paid to US companies for services to be rendered as is frequently the case with US aid.

[dipsydoodle]

10. That amount was mentioned a week or so back in the form of "guarantees"

Nothing has changed and yet to be appoved by Congress. Guarantees implies the US will underwrite the loans of others.

A senior US administration official, who briefed reporters en route to Kiev, said the Obama administration would work with Congress to approve $1 billion in loan guarantees to help lessen the impact on Ukrainians of proposed energy subsidy cuts.

The United States will also send technical experts to Ukraine to advise its central bank and finance ministry on how to deal with the country’s economic challenges and help combat corruption, the official said.

In addition, the United States will train observers for the country’s 25 May election to bring the electoral process in line with international standards, the official added.

“We want to very visibly embrace Ukraine,” said the official who briefed reporters en route to Kiev. “Part of that is through an IMF package, part of it will be through bilateral assistance but in conjunction with our partners to try to support Ukraine,” the official told reporters.

in live updates here : http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/04/ukraine-crisis-shots-fired-crimea-airbase

[go west young man]

14. I can't say it's gonna happen....

but it will be as ironic as hell if a pro Russia candidate wins the election. I guess then we'll see the same thing that happened with the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt or Hezbollah in Lebanon. The US has a pretty crap record lately of holding other peoples elections for them and ending up with unfavorable bed fellows.

[840high]

36. Yes we do.

[truth2power]

24. Key word: IMF. Bad deal! Screwing the Ukranian people again. n/t

[RobertEarl]

11. Diplomacy: What a great idea!

The money: It will go to pay off the gas bill the Ukraine owes Russia.

It is good to see that Obama and Kerry are not rattling war weapons over this relatively minor situation. The fact that it is safe enough for Kerry to land and chat with the government is a very good sign.

Also, I am getting a sense of deflation here

Seems to me the warmongers have had their war-bubble burst.

Just doesn't seem to be the same enthusiasm coming from the usual suspects.

[dotymed]

19. Unfortunately, IMO this is a giant step

towards a new cold war.
Americans have been suffering under this one party imposed Austerity for the masses and Huge Wealth Increases for the already wealthy.
I think that at this moment in history we have to be isolationists until we overcome the corporatism of our govt.
That BILLION $ plus much more should be spent guaranteeing living wage jobs and cleaning out the corruption that has become our govt.
Guarantee our disabled and elderly a prosperous quality of life.

"We" pay our Congress over $100,000 yearly to show up in D.C. and raise more money, for the less than 150 days a year that they are present.
Their "job" (most of them) is to accept money from the elite to suppress the living conditions, salary, etc. of the huge majority of Americans.
For that, their corporate masters guarantee they will be millionaires within a year of being "elected" to be "our leaders."

Marie Antoinette was an angel compared to todays "leaders."

"Our leaders" should be paid exactly what the average (not median) American actually EARNS, about $25,000 a year. "They" have actually voted themselves automatic yearly pay raises........

[MBS]

18. See also more comprehensive WaPo story (recently updated)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/kerry-in-kiev-pledges-1-billion-in-us-aid/2014/03/04/9f425fc0-a398-11e3-84d4-e59b1709222c_story.html?hpid=z2
Excerpt (bold highlight is my emphasis):

Kerry is the highest-level American official to come to the former Soviet republic since the ouster of Ukraine’s Russian-backed leadership 10 days ago and Russia’s move to occupy Ukraine’s strategic Crimean Peninsula.
Kerry is pledging economic and technical help for the new leadership, but no military backing now.
New economic sanctions against Russia are coming in “days, not weeks,” a U.S. official traveling with Kerry said
. . .
Although Kerry’s trip was a firm symbolic boost to the new leadership, U.S. officials traveling with him said the United States and other Western states are trying to give Russia a graceful way to back down.. . .
. . During a tour of Kiev, Kerry walked along a muddy Institutska Street, the site of dozens of deaths from sniper or automatic weapons fire last month. Piles of soggy flowers, many snarled with barbed wire, lined the street. Remnants of barricades built of tires, packing crates, garden gates and a mattress remained.
Kerry spoke to groups of people, most of whom appeared to be supporters of the new government.
“We are helping you,” Kerry told one woman. “President Obama wants to help you. I want to help you.”
A few moments later, a group of people who identified themselves as Russians called out to Kerry, and he also told them that the United States wants to help.. .

Kerry's diplomatic skills and his evidently (judging from videos) warm relationship with the Russian foreign minister, combined with the expertise of State Dept specialists (including that of the recently departed US ambassador to Russia, who seems smart and knowledgeable), will be key to realizing this goal, which seems to me the only approach that's likely to work with Putin. If there's not "a graceful way" for Russia to back down, it isn't going to happen.

[jtuck004]

20. In addition to the $5+ billion already spent to unseat the democratically elected president

of the Ukraine which put us here in the first place.

Maybe that's where they spent the $8 billion in food stamps cut from hungry families here this past week...

Fuck chess.

[TBF]

26. This method works for

The imperialists and should not be a surprise. Bush would have felt compelled to add some "shock and awe" so at least we're not dealing with that again ...

[totodeinhere]

28. The democratically elected government was not unseated. That same government's parliament

legally removed the president after he was alleged to have murdered civilian demonstrators. His removal was perfectly legal and was recognized by the US, Canada, Japan and the EU among others.

Of course Putin supports Yanukovych just like he supports Assad. But remember that Putin continues to brutally oppress the LGBT community in his country.

[jtuck004]

48. Perhaps you were watching the Disney channel? Because the one I had showed gangs, including

Neo-Nazi's, groups that we had paid to support per an asst Sect of State from the U.S. (stating, in a video, that we had spent $5 billion to work against Yanukovych) who passed out cookies to the demonstrators prior to everything coming apart. And these groups ran his democratically elected ass out of town after they took over the government.

[totodeinhere]

50. It looks like you have fallen for Russian propaganda.

What reputable news organization has reported your version of events?

I can't believe that there are people at DU defending Putin. But the way, what is your opinion of Putin's treatment of LGBT's? Or did I get that from the Disney Channel too?

[jtuck004]

51. My opinion of his treatment of LGBT folk, our neighbors, is that it is just as horrid as it is here

in many places. Tragic, murderous, criminal.

As far as what you got from the Disney set, only you know

[EmilyAnne]

56. With all due respect, you have no idea what you are talking about.

Seriously.
No clue.
I lived in Putin's Russia.
I have many gay friends there.
I also have many journalist friends who were completely shut down.
Please stop with the false equivalencies.
It helps no one.

[jtuck004]

57. I see it's time to up my standards again. Bye.

Last edited Tue Mar 4, 2014, 08:40 PM - Edit history (1)

Interesting partisan message, though. Bet $1000 a pro-Russian would see it entirely differently. Funny how that works.

Neither viewpoint can be relied upon.

[EmilyAnne]

59. Getting busy on the proof there? lol nt

[nyabingi]

21. here we go again...

...propping up the leftover scavengers after having helped foment a coup against a democratically-elected government. Now we're giving a billion to anti-Semitic ultra-nationalists thugs (Svoboda, Right Sector). It's all about NATO expansion, picking off former Soviet republics and forcing them to grovel at the feet of the IMF and their austerity cuts. Obama's mistake was having neo-cons like Nuland in his administration and not having the guts to kick them out.

[go west young man]

32. Nailed it.

Welcome to DU.

[snooper2]

38. Straight from the mouth of Mark Levin and Michael (Weiner) Savage

Good quotes!

[KG]

30. fail x 1 billion.

[Catherina]

72. Make that 6 BILLION. A sixfold FAIL.

Wife of PNAC co-counder, Victoria Nuland, says US invested $5 Billion in 'The Development of Ukrainian "Democratic Institutions"'

“Since Ukraine’s independence in 1991, the United States has ... invested over $5 billion to assist Ukraine in these and other goals that will ensure a secure and prosperous and democratic Ukraine.... The reforms that the IMF insists on are necessary for the long-term economic health of the country. A new deal with the IMF would also send a positive signal to private markets ... it would be a huge shame to see five years’ worth of work and preparation go to waste if the AA is not signed in the near future. So it is time to finish the job.” - Victoria Nuland, Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs at the State Department, wife of PNAC co-founder Robert Kagan

In other words, welcome to the EU Austerity club – and get in line behind Greece, Spain, Portugal, Ireland and Italy for a strong dose of IMF shock therapy.

This is the same woman who was running back and forth to Ukraine passing out cookies to the violent protesters and egging them in in the finest Florida Bush-mob tradition. This picture was snapped before the intercepted phone call on unsecured cell phone lines between her and the US Ambassador in Ukraine discussing which of their rent-a-mob leaders should take the reins later and "fuck the EU" if they didn't like it because we'll get the UN to glue it all together for us.)


Victoria Nuland handing out cookies to protesters in Kiev

Her remarks were made at an even sponsored by Chevron and ExxonMobil and stacked with Freedom House, NED types.

[bigwillq]

33. Unreal.

Imagine what $1 billion can do to help AMERICANS?

[another_liberal]

41. We did all we could to bring the legal government down . . .

The least we can do now is bankroll the illegal one we had established in its place.

Anyway, what would we need to spend that money on here at home. Everything we need is already fully-funded and then some, right?

[Nye Bevan]

42. Ukrainians are human beings just as much as Americans are.

I strongly disagree with the "stop all foreign aid" crowd.

[reACTIONary]

73. + 100 !!! (nt)

[840high]

77. We have hungry, homeless people here.

[gussmith]

43. Is It Aid Or

Is it a loan? Why don't they make that straight.

[another_liberal]

53. A loan which will most likely never be repaid . . .

Is actually aid masquerading as a loan.

[1000words]

44. LOL ... still thinking they can throw money around

[olddad56]

45. Putin will use that billion wisely once the Ukraine belongs to him.

[BainsBane]

52. To everyone so upset at this aid

keep in mind this is the strategy instead of military intervention.

[another_liberal]

58. I'm not upset over the aid . . .

I'm upset we overthrew another democratically elected government and replaced it with an appointed, technocrat President from Harvard business school.

[BainsBane]

60. What evidence do you have that this was a US coup?

And how did the US compel the Yanucovych administration to kill protesters in the middle of Kiev?

[another_liberal]

61. Oh, I don't know . . .

Except maybe this:

As well as the fact that at every turn we were encouraging the rioters, rioters armed with lead pipe clubs, with firebombs, and, finally, with rifles. You know, people like these:

[BainsBane]

62. What is the date of the phone call?

Was it not after Yanykovych fled to the east?

The second video just shows a lot of violence. It doesn't show who they are, or whether they were sent by the US.

What interest do you think the US in provoking a confrontation with Russia? How does that serve US interests?

[another_liberal]

66. No, the phone call was actually well before Yanukovich was forced to flee.

It was at least a week before that violent and illegal action. The second video is of protester thugs brutally attacking Ukrainian police during the last days of the Kiev riots.

As to our wanting to have a confrontation with Russia, I doubt our government wants anything of the sort. Our government is doing the bidding of very wealthy and powerful interests (as it, sadly, often does) in clearing the obstacles to their looting of everything worth a buck which Ukraine might have to offer.

[BainsBane]

63. I want to make something clear

I have a background in Latin American history. I'm well aware that the US has deposed more governments than we can easily count. However, I also know not every coup was plotted and carried out by the US. For example, the 1973 coup against Salvador Allende in Chile was very much a US plot, as scads of CIA documents and ITT memos make clear. The 1964 coup against Goulart in Brazil was not; the Brazilian military in fact declined assistance, though the US knew of the plans in advance. In that era, the US still saw Latin America as its uncontested sphere of influence in the Cold War.

I'm a member of the evidence based community. I'm not going to necessarily believe the US sponsored a coup just because people here suspect it. I need hard evidence, which is unlikely to be forthcoming in the near future. Most importantly, I don't see how the US benefits from this kind of confrontation with Russia, which even a child had to know would arise from this situation.

[another_liberal]

65. Sadly . . .

Our coup masters rarely allow actual evidence (such as the Nuland recording) to get into the public record. It usually takes decades for that "hard evidence" to surface, but it always does. Seeing our anti-democratic machinations for what they are in real time takes a good deal of reading between the lines. I specialize in U.S. diplomatic relations. Reading between the lines is what I've done a great deal of for a very long time.

[totodeinhere]

68. So in other words you have no proof. n/t

[totodeinhere]

67. The government was not illegally overthrown.

The Ukrainian parliament has the constitutional right to impeach a president who commits crimes much as is the case in the United States. Yanukovych was impeached for ordering security forces to fire on unarmed demonstrators. The parliament that took that action was democratically elected and was acting within the law.

Can't you see that Putin is making false accusations against the Ukrainian people in order to justify invading their country?

[another_liberal]

69. As I have noted more than once already, it was indeed illegal.

Was it because the protest leaders had signed an internationally negotiated agreement to not seek Yanukovich's removal if he would agree to early national elections and remove all police from the streets (which conditions he quickly met) and then, as soon as the police had been withdrawn, they allowed scores of armed thugs to swarm the Rada building and drive off most members of Yanukovich's democratically elected majority, as well as intimidating the rest with physical violence unless they changed their party allegiance and voted for his removal (and, of course, driving the President himself from the country by threat of death).

[totodeinhere]

70. That is not an accurate account of what happened. But it does very conveniently

justify Putin's longstanding desire to put the sovereign nation of Ukraine under his boot heal. The parliament heard accounts from numerous witnesses who where present when security forces fired on unarmed civilians.

[totodeinhere]

71. The U.S., U.K., Ukraine, and Russia signed the Budapest Memorandum in 1994, an international treaty

guaranteeing that the U.S. and U.K. would come to Ukraine's aid, if they were invaded, in exchange for Ukraine demilitarizing tons of aging Soviet-era weapons.

That document gives the U.S. and the U.K. the legal justification and obligation to do exactly what they are doing right now. And if you don't believe those really are Russian troops besieging Ukrainian military bases in Crimea then I have a bridge to sell you.

[Xithras]

78. nm. n/t

Replied without realizing this was an old post that someone had pulled up. Deleting.