American diplomats have asked the US State Department to exclude USAID programs related to Ukraine from the general freeze on international aid. This issue was raised after the order of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, which suspended most foreign programs for 90 days. In particular, these are projects aimed at supporting education and vaccination in Ukraine.
This is reported by IZ with reference to the Financial Time.
USAID in Ukraine has temporarily suspended the “stop work” orders, awaiting an official decision from Washington. Diplomats from the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs emphasize the importance of continuing the implementation of programs aimed at supporting Ukrainian citizens. Despite the freeze order, USAID representatives continue to look for ways to support partner organizations.
Some organizations in Ukraine have already received orders to immediately stop work on contracts with USAID. This has complicated the implementation of important projects, but the contractors themselves note that they are ready to resume activities as soon as they receive official permission to do so. In the meantime, USAID's Ukrainian partners are waiting for clarity on the issue of a possible resumption of funding.
As a reminder, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that the freeze did not affect military assistance. The United States continues to support Ukraine under weapons supply programs from warehouses and contracts for weapons production. Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, the United States has provided Ukraine with more than $65 billion in military assistance.
