Opening Remarks by Under Secretary Marisa Lago at a Press Conference in Kyiv – July 26
Kyiv, Ukraine
July 26, 2024
As Delivered
Dobryy den. I am so honored to be able to return to historic St. Michael’s Square, which I first visited in the mid-1990s, which was a time of so much hope for newly-independent Ukraine.
If you’ll indulge me in a personal reflection for a moment. For the past 50 years, I have lived in the warm embrace of my husband’s Ukrainian family. My father-in-law grew up in Ivano-Frankivsk and my mother-in-law grew up in Uscie Gorlickie near Kraków. My last visit to Kyiv was with my father-in-law and it was the first time he was returning to Ukraine since having been taken at age 14 by the Nazis, so it is a very special privilege standing here again today representing the U.S. Department of Commerce.
About two weeks ago, I was honored to be in the audience together with Ambassador Brink as President Zelenskyy addressed a small side event during NATO’s 75th Anniversary Summit. He called on all of us to act now — not to wait. He emphasized that the world is capable of doing the right things when we all act, and this must be our strategy — acting now.
The very next day, President Biden launched a historic Ukraine Compact with 32 world leaders, formalizing a comprehensive security architecture to support Ukraine now and also far into the future — both in war and ultimately in peace. Together, through this Compact, we will achieve a Ukraine that is again free and independent, and also democratic and prosperous — able to defend itself and to deter future aggression.
Nearly two and a half years since Russia ruthlessly invaded Ukraine, Kyiv still proudly stands and Ukraine will prevail and the United States will be with Ukraine every step of the way. In practical terms, the United States continues to mobilize a broad coalition of allies and partners to provide military, economic and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. For our part, the United States has provided $82 billion in assistance to Ukraine since this brutal, unjustified war began.
Supporting Ukraine is more than simply the right thing to do. It is an investment in transatlantic security and the democratic values that we all hold dearly.
My team at the U.S. Department of Commerce, the International Trade Administration, specializes in promoting international trade and investment. For us, this unwavering commitment to Ukraine means connecting U.S. companies to pressing needs now — such as in defense and energy. Equally importantly, we are already planning ahead for Ukrainian victory and for the country’s economic reconstruction. And heeding President Zelenskyy’s admonition, The United States and our partners are absolutely not waiting until the war ends to get started on planning for the reconstruction.
Earlier today, I spoke to a group of about 200 businesses — from the United States, Ukraine and countries across the region. The international business community is eager to help, and the U.S. private sector is especially steadfast in its commitment. The numbers speak for themselves: more than two years into the war, 86 percent of AmCham members remain fully operational, and an even higher 98 percent remain at least partially operational — even though nearly a third have reported damages to their properties during the war. The U.S. business community is here to stay.
I also had the opportunity to meet with a number of your ministers, including First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko. I met with the Minister of Strategic Industries, Oleksandr Kamyshin, Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation Oleksandr Bornyakov, and earlier this week while at a transatlantic energy summit in Bucharest I had the opportunity to speak with Deputy Minister of Energy Roman Andarak. These are the ministers who are committed to driving Ukraine forward, to making the reforms that are necessary to ensure a prosperous future for Ukraine—a future that presents us with an economy in Ukraine that will attract U.S. investment.
I will conclude my comments by recognizing the incredible, enduring spirit of so many Ukrainians who I have met as part of the diaspora in the U.S. and who I have met here today in Kyiv — a group of intrepid entrepreneurs, a group of women entrepreneurs, broader representatives of the Ukrainian business community, and senior government officials who are all valiantly carrying forward the country’s economic recovery and whole reform agenda.
I came to Ukraine already feeling a part of the community, and I leave today deeply inspired and with a renewed commitment to mobilizing every tool and resource at the U.S. Department of Commerce’s disposal to support Ukraine’s security and prosperity for many generations to come.