FACT SHEET: U.S. Crisis Support Package for Ukraine

President Obama and Vice President Biden have made U.S. support for Ukraine an urgent priority as the Ukrainian government works to establish security and stability, pursue democratic elections and constitutional reform, revive its economy, and ensure government institutions are transparent and accountable to the Ukrainian people.  Ukraine embarks on this reform path in the face of severe challenges to its sovereignty and territorial integrity, which we are working to address together with Ukraine and our partners in the international community.  The United States is committed to ensuring that Ukrainians alone are able to determine their country’s future without intimidation or coercion from outside forces.  To support Ukraine, we are today announcing a new package of assistance totaling $50 million to help Ukraine pursue political and economic reform and strengthen the partnership between the United States and Ukraine.  

Elections and Constitutional Reform:  Constitutional reform and free and fair elections are keys to Ukraine’s democratic development.  Assistance in this area is a down payment on the country’s democratic development.  We stand ready to provide further assistance to the new government after elections.

• The United States is contributing an $11.4 million package to support the integrity of the May 25 elections.   These funds are being used to advance democratic processes – not to support a particular candidate or electoral outcome.  These efforts include voter education programs, transparent election administration, effective oversight of the election process, election security and a redress of infractions, and a diverse, balanced and policy-focused media environment.
• The United States is contributing support and monitors to the OSCE’s election observation mission and other monitoring groups.  U.S. funded programs will provide at least 250 long-term observers and over 1,700 short-term observers.
• We are also sending additional experts to provide advice on issues such as constitutional checks and balances, local governance, public participation, and the establishment of an independent, transparent judicial system.

Economic Assistance:  The United States has already signed a $1 billion loan guarantee to help Ukraine meet its financial obligations and protect vulnerable citizens from the impact of economic adjustments.  We have also supported Ukraine’s work with the IMF to secure a loan program worth $14-$18 billion.   As these U.S., IMF, and European funds begin to flow, we will have technical experts from the U.S. Treasury Department on the ground to help the Ukrainian government allocate them effectively to stabilize the economy and ensure all the regions benefit.  Currently, there are three banking advisors in Kyiv and we will be deploying public debt management and macroeconomic advisors in the coming week.  We are also committed to providing additional technical assistance in the areas of budget and tax administration.

Energy Security:  Over the coming weeks, expert teams from several U.S. government agencies will travel to the region to help Ukraine meet immediate and longer term energy needs. 

• Today, a U.S. interagency expert team arrived in Kyiv to help Ukraine secure reverse flows of natural gas from its European neighbors.  The team will continue on to Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia in the coming days to work on the details of these arrangements.  Reverse flows of natural gas will provide Ukraine with additional immediate sources of energy.
• U.S. technical experts will join with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and others in May to help Ukraine develop a public-private investment initiative to increase conventional gas production from existing fields to boost domestic energy supply.  A technical team will also engage the government on measures that will help the Ukrainian government ensure swift and environmentally sustainable implementation of contracts signed in 2013 for shale gas development. 
• Department of Energy and USAID specialists will travel to Ukraine next month to provide advice on how to maximize energy efficiency, which could deliver potentially huge cost savings to Ukraine and rationalize energy consumption.

Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption:  The United States is committed to helping Ukraine break the cycle of corruption that acts as a tax on business, an impediment to economic growth, and a drain on public trust in government.  Technical advisors from the Departments of State and Justice have already been advising the government on anti-corruption measures.  Today we are expanding this assistance program with additional commitments.

• Attorney General Holder will co-host an international conference in London April 29-30 to help identify, trace, and recover proceeds of corruption stolen by the former regime.  This is part of an ongoing effort, including work by an FBI investigative team on the ground in Kyiv to help the government of Ukraine recover assets stolen from the Ukrainian people.
• The United States will provide advice and assistance to help modernize Ukraine’s government procurement in accordance with international standards, including the creation of a vetted anti-corruption unit.   We will offer technical assistance to that vetted unit to help build a sustainable anti-corruption regime within Ukraine, as we have done with substantial results in other parts of the world.
• Specialized teams of prosecutors and investigators will help the Ukrainian government with other forms of technical assistance to put in place the proper legal and regulatory framework to fight corruption.  The teams will also serve as a resource to ensure follow-through and effective implementation.

People-to-People Ties:  To further strengthen ties between the people of Ukraine and the United States, we are announcing our intent to establish a new bilateral visa regime that will extend the standard validity of visas for businesspeople and tourists from 5 years to 10 years on a negotiated reciprocal basis.

Security Assistance:  In addition to the $50 million package, today we are announcing the provision of $8 million of non-lethal military assistance to allow the Ukrainian armed forces and State Border Guard Service to fulfill their core security missions.  The additional supplies include:

• Explosive Ordnance Disposal equipment and handheld radios for Ukraine’s Armed Forces.
• Engineering equipment, communications equipment, vehicles, and non-lethal individual tactical gear for Ukraine’s Border Guard Service.

This is in addition to the $3 million of Meals Ready to Eat and nearly $7 million of health and welfare assistance the United States is already providing to Ukraine.  The United States will continue to actively review requests for additional support as Ukraine’s government further modernizes its armed forces and deals with evolving threats.

President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to key Administration posts:

• General Larry R. Ellis, USA (Ret.) – Member, American Battle Monuments Commission
• Howard Z. Borin – Member, Commission on Presidential Scholars
• Grace Tsao-Wu – Member, Commission on Presidential Scholars

President Obama said, “These dedicated and accomplished individuals will be valued additions to my Administration as we tackle the important challenges facing America. I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead.”

President Obama announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to key Administration posts:

General Larry R. Ellis, USA (Ret.), Appointee for Member, American Battle Monuments Commission
General Larry R. Ellis, USA (Ret.) has been President and CEO of VetConnexx, LLC since 2013, a company that provides career opportunities for veterans based in Atlanta, Georgia.  He is also President and CEO of ESSE, LLC, a facilities management consulting company.  He was President and CEO of Point Blank Solutions, Inc. from 2005 to 2009.  General Ellis served in the Army from 1969 to 2004, and achieved the rank of Four Star General in 2001.  He served in numerous command and leadership positions in the United States, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Germany, South Korea, and Vietnam.  He is a member of the University System of Georgia Board of Regents, the Morgan State University Board of Regents, and the Armed Forces Benefit Association.  His awards include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Bronze Star Medal, and the NAACP National Service Award.  General Ellis attended the U.S. Army War College and received a B.S. from Morgan State University and an M.S. from Indiana University.

Dr. Howard Z. Borin, Appointee for Member, Commission on Presidential Scholars
Dr. Howard Z. Borin is a Board Certified Pediatrician.  He most recently worked as Physician in Charge at the Nemours Hospital for Children satellite office in Delaware from 2007 to 2012.  From 1997 to 2007, Dr. Borin was the Physician in Charge for the first outreach program for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.  Prior to that, Dr. Borin ran his own pediatric practice from 1971 to 1997.  From 1970 to 1971, Dr. Borin was a Registrar at the Hospital for Sick Children of Great Ormond Street in London, England.  Dr. Borin completed his residency at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.  He was named among the Best Doctors in America by Best Doctors, Inc. from 2007 to 2012, and has been ranked numerous times as among the Top Doctors in Delaware by Delaware Today Magazine.  Dr. Borin received a B.A. and an M.D. from Indiana University. 

Grace Tsao-Wu, Appointee for Member, Commission on Presidential Scholars
Grace Tsao-Wu is currently a Partner at Laudi Vidni, a position she has held since 2009.  From 1994 to 2014, Ms. Tsao-Wu was the founder and owner of her own business, Tabula Tua.  She is on the board of One Million Degrees, an organization that empowers low-income, highly motivated community college students to succeed in school, work, and life.  She is also on the advisory board of the Chinese American Service League.  Prior to this, Ms. Tsao-Wu worked for Kraft Foods from 1990 to 1993 and Price Waterhouse from 1983 to 1988.  Ms. Tsao-Wu received a B.S. from the University of California, Berkeley and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. 

Statement by the President

Today I have signed into law S. 2195, an Act concerning visa limitations for certain representatives to the United Nations.  S. 2195 amends section 407 of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1990 and 1991, to provide that no individual may be admitted to the United States as a representative to the United Nations, if that individual has been found to have been engaged in espionage or terrorist activity directed against the United States or its allies, and if that individual may pose a threat to United States national security interests.  As President Bush observed in signing the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1990 and 1991, this provision "could constrain the exercise of my exclusive constitutional authority to receive within the United States certain foreign ambassadors to the United Nations." (Public Papers of the President, George Bush, Vol. I, 1990, page 240).  Acts of espionage and terrorism against the United States and our allies are unquestionably problems of the utmost gravity, and I share the Congress's concern that individuals who have engaged in such activity may use the cover of diplomacy to gain access to our Nation.  Nevertheless, as President Bush also observed, "curtailing by statute my constitutional discretion to receive or reject ambassadors is neither a permissible nor a practical solution."  I shall therefore continue to treat section 407, as originally enacted and as amended by S. 2195, as advisory in circumstances in which it would interfere with the exercise of this discretion.

White House Announces 2014 Spring Garden Events

April 26 and 27

WASHINGTON –As part of the President and First Lady’s ongoing effort to open the People’s House to as many people as possible, the White House will open its gardens and grounds to visitors on Saturday, April 26 from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM EDT, and Sunday, April 27 from 10:00 AM to 2:30 PM EDT.  During this event, visitors can see the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden, Rose Garden and South Lawn of the White House.  Additionally, the White House Kitchen Garden – the first vegetable garden at the White House since Eleanor Roosevelt’s Victory Garden – will be accessible to guests.

This event is free and open to the public; however, a ticket is required for all attendees (including small children).  The National Park Service will distribute free, timed tickets at the Ellipse Visitor Pavilion located at 15th and E Streets NW on Saturday and Sunday beginning at 9:00 AM.  Tickets will be distributed -- one ticket per person -- on a first-come, first-served basis.

Please note the following items are not allowed on the White House grounds:

• Aerosols of any kind
• Animals (except guide dogs)
• Backpacks (oversized)
• Balloons
• Food or beverages of any kind
• Duffle bags/suitcases
• Any pointed object
• Fireworks/firecrackers
• Insulated metal containers/water bottles/thermos
• Guns/stun guns/ammunition
• Knives of any kind
• Mace
• Tobacco

The U.S. Secret Service reserves the right to prohibit any other personal items.  However, strollers, wheelchairs, umbrellas, and cameras are permitted.

All items needed for medical purposes will be permitted on the tour (e.g. wheelchairs, electric scooters, glucose tablets, EpiPens, etc.).  Please identify and explain all items needed for medical purposes to U.S. Secret Service upon arrival.

In the event of inclement weather, the event may be cancelled.  Please call the 24-hour information line at (202) 456-7041 to check on the status of the event.