It's not time for the United States to provide real assistance to Ukraine

US Vice President Joe Biden assured Ukrainian leaders that the US will provide assistance to ensure that "Russia can no longer use energy as a weapon." Biden announced mid- to long-term initiatives to support Ukraine's energy sector and announced $ 50 million in aid, an unspecified portion of which will go towards developing the country's gas reserves, researching alternative energy sources, and improving efficiency.

The immediate danger for Ukraine is the cut-off of Russian gas supplies for non-payment of debt. To support metallurgical plants, and indeed all the country's activities in the face of the cessation of natural gas supplies, US assistance is far from the country's needs.
Modernizing Ukraine's energy infrastructure and gaining independence in energy supply will take at least 16 years and will require 170 billion euros (234 billion dollars) in investment, and this figure is not final.

In addition, the US wants to see how the situation plays out in the coming weeks before deciding how to fund energy initiatives. Of the $ 50 million, Biden pledged $ 11.4 million in funding to Ukraine after the May 25 elections. And every penny of the remaining $ 38.6 million will be used to help solve the country's energy problems.

To reduce Russia's influence, Biden provided US advice to Ukrainians on accessing gas from other European neighbors, developing domestic resources, and accelerating shale gas production. US technical experts will travel to Ukraine in May to help the government create the legal and regulatory framework needed to implement contracts for the development of shale gas fields.