Report: G7 countries set to approve $18 billion for Ukraine

Germany’s finance minister says the Group of Seven leading economies are set to agree on more than $18 billion in aid for Ukrainian defense efforts

KOENIGSWINTER, Germany -- The Group of Seven leading economies are set to agree on more than $18 billion in aid for Ukrainian defense efforts as meetings of finance ministers close Friday, Germany's finance minister told Bloomberg Television.

“I think it’s a very good signal that the G-7 nations are standing shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine because they are not only defending themselves, they are defending our values,” German Finance Minister Christian Lindner said in an interview with Bloomberg.

A representative from the U.S. Treasury Department declined to verify the amount allocated, and a spokesman from the German finance ministry declined to comment to The Associated Press.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and other leaders spoke this week about the need for allies to put together enough additional aid to help Ukraine “get through" the Russian invasion.