Feb. 27 (UPI) — U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen made a shock go to to Ukraine Monday to solidify the U.S. dedication to financially assist Kyiv in its battle in opposition to Russian invaders because the second 12 months of the struggle begins.

In reporting Yellen’s journey, The New York Times mentioned she was asserting the switch of $1.25 billion in support to Ukraine in her assembly with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday, saying the United States can not enable Ukraine to lose the struggle for “economic reasons” whereas it’s succeeding on the battlefield.

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“I’m in Kyiv to reaffirm our unwavering support of the Ukrainian people,” Yellen mentioned. “Mr. Putin is counting on our global coalition’s resolve to wane, which he thinks will give him the upper hand in the war. But he is wrong. As President Biden said here last week, America will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.”

Zelensky shared a video of Yellen arriving to fulfill him on his Telegram channel.

“The United States has been powerfully supporting us since the first days of this war not only with weapons, but also on the financial front. We really appreciate it,” Zelensky posted. “Thank you for systematic steps to extend sanctions strain on the aggressor state. It is critical to additional strengthen sanctions to deprive Russia of the power to finance the struggle.

The go to comes per week after President Joe Biden made a surprise trip to Ukraine. It was the primary time in trendy historical past {that a} U.S. president entered a struggle zone with none U.S. navy presence.

It can also be uncommon for a Treasury secretary to go to a struggle zone — The Wall Street Journal highlights — demonstrating the numerous assist the United States is inserting behind Ukraine.

It has additionally been almost a 12 months since Yellen warned of the worldwide financial ramifications of the struggle in Ukraine. Last April, Yellen forecasted that the struggle and sanctions in opposition to Russia would disrupt the worldwide financial system, saying, very like she reiterated Monday, that Russia should be held accountable for its “reprehensible” actions in opposition to Ukraine.