President Joe Biden appointed a well-connected billionaire Democrat on Thursday to oversee the rebuilding of Ukraine’s economy.
Penny Pritzker, a billionaire businesswoman and former secretary of commerce for the Obama administration, will serve as the United States Special Representative for Ukraine’s economic recovery, according to a Thursday press release. Pritzker, the sister of Democratic Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, will be in charge of working in “lockstep” with the Ukrainian government in an effort to help the country rebuild its economy. (RELATED: ‘That Is Crap’: Biden, Xi Had Heated Argument Over Alleged Biolabs In Ukraine, Book Says)
“As we take this next step to help Ukraine forge a stronger future, we remain steadfastly committed to helping it defend its freedom today,” Biden wrote in a Thursday statement. “The brave people of Ukraine have inspired the world with their resilience and resolve, and as this announcement reaffirms, the United States remains committed to stand with them, for as long as it takes.”
Pritzker will also be in charge of encouraging international partners to support Ukraine in their immediate needs to help rebuild their economy, the White House statement says.
Penny Pritzker’s family is well-known for its influence within the Democratic Party and for their success in business, according to The New York Times. Penny Pritzker serves on the board of Microsoft and was formerly the chairwoman of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace while her father is the co-founder of the Hyatt hotel company.
Pritzker previously helped former President Barack Obama’s campaign raise millions of dollars during his bid for president, The New York Times reported.
US Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker (R) introduces US Vice President Joe Biden before he addressed the US-Ukraine Business forum at the US Chamber of Commerce on July 13, 2015, in Washington, DC. (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Biden’s appointee is the administration’s latest move to back the country throughout its war with Russia; the Biden campaign recently launched an ad touting its efforts to support Ukraine while it is at war. The White House has repeatedly pledged to back Ukraine while it is at war for as “long as it takes.”
Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveled to Kyiv on Sept. 6, announcing that the Biden administration would be sending another aid package of more than $1 billion to the country. The United States has given Ukraine a total of $43 billion in aid since the Russian invasion.
“We want to make sure that Ukraine has what it needs, not only to succeed in the counteroffensive but has what it needs for the long term, to make sure that it has a strong deterrent,” Blinken said during his trip.