Ukrainian prime minister to attend economic meetings in DC

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Schmyhal will attend economic meetings next week in Washington, D.C., a World Bank official told The Hill.

Other top Ukrainian officials such as the country’s finance minister will also be in attendance at the meetings.

The meetings will include the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Group of Seven finance officials, according to Reuters, which first reported the news. 

The Hill has reached out to the International Monetary Fund for confirmation.

The World Bank will host the event, which will take place on Thursday and center around the war in Ukraine.

Sources told Reuters the meeting will be a roundtable and not a donors conference, although the World Bank and IMF have accounts established for donations to Ukraine.

This comes nearly two months after Russian president Vladimir Putin launched the invasion in Ukraine on Feb. 24. Russian forces have since caused significant destruction in many parts of Ukraine. Attacks have impacted civilian structures such as homes, schools and hospitals, as well as important infrastructure including rail, bridges, ports and roads.

In a report published last weekend, the World Bank said the ongoing war is expected to cut Ukraine’s gross domestic product by 45.1 percent this year.

Western allies have given billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine, with President Biden announcing an additional $800 million in security assistance to the country this week.

The World Bank also announced new aid for Ukraine this week, saying it was preparing to send the country $1.5 billion to “support continuation of essential government services during the war.”