Ukrainian Embassy Denies Media Reports on 70% US Aid Slash, Cites 30% Cut

The United States is likely to reduce assistance to Ukraine's security sector by approximately 30 percent, not to effect Kiev's long term programs, Ukraine’s embassy in the United States said Wednesday in light of media reports of a possible 70 percent decrease.

KIEV (Sputnik) – On Monday, the Foreign Policy magazine reported, citing a US State Department budget document they obtained, that US assistance to foreign states would be cut by over one-third in 2018, with a 68.8 percent reduction to Ukraine, from its $570 million current funding level.

The Ukrainian embassy said that information on US assistance cuts should be viewed in correlation with US financial assistance in the form of loan guarantees.

"In 2018, due to the achieved financial stability and expected economic growth in Ukraine, the sides do not envisage financial assistance from the United States in the form of loan guarantee. Actual reduction of American assistance to Ukraine in 2018 is around 30% and allows to continue most of the long-term programs of assistance, that are already in progress," the embassy posted on its Facebook.

The embassy also expressed hope that US aid to Ukraine in 2018 would be kept at the 2016 levels, which requires an increase of about $90 million.