Staff Reports
The Biden administration makes a sneaky move to send money to Ukraine, even though aid to the country is stuck in Congress. The Department of Justice calls it a “first of its kind” transfer, where the U.S. is handing over almost $500,000 in forfeited Russian funds to Estonia. And what’s Estonia supposed to do with all that dough, you ask? They’re gonna use it to help out Ukraine, of course.
Biden Administration Finds a Way to Send Money to Ukraine https://t.co/cDTSIgCqfl
— Tim Horgan (@TimHorg37664992) February 19, 2024
So, how did the U.S. get their hands on this Russian moolah? Well, it all started when the United States busted up an illegal network trying to bring some high-tech American machinery into Russia. This machinery could be used for defense and nuclear stuff, and we can’t have that falling into the wrong hands! As a result, the U.S. confiscated the funds from these shady dealings and now they’re passing it off to Estonia because, according to the rules, they can’t just hand it over directly to Ukraine.
This isn’t the first time the U.S. has pulled off this kind of stunt. Last year, they gave over $5.4 million in confiscated Russian funds to the State Department to help out Ukrainian war veterans. But this time, the money’s heading to Estonia, and they’re gonna use it to fix up Ukraine’s electrical system, which has been a prime target for those sneaky Russian forces.
Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco is all pumped up about this move, saying it shows the U.S. and Estonia aren’t messing around when it comes to sticking it to Putin. She’s talking about justice and restoration and blazing new trails and all that jazz. And Secretary General Tõnis Saar of the Estonian Ministry of Justice is on board too, saying this whole thing should give folks a kick in the pants when it comes to playing by the rules. He hopes this becomes the “new normal” for dealing with sanctioned crimes in the future. Looks like the Biden team is finding some crafty ways to get things done!
