Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv will look to domestic and European sources for funds following U.S. President Donald Trump‘s order to freeze foreign aid.
Zelensky said on Wednesday that he had instructed his government to look for ways to fill the funding gaps left by Trump’s order to suspend programs for 90 days, which has thrown humanitarian efforts in Ukraine into turmoil.
Yuriy Boyechko, founder and CEO of Hope for Ukraine, told Newsweek that the funding pause had thrown “a shockwave” through the humanitarian group’s partners operating in the country. Newsweek has contacted the White House for comment by email.
Why It matters
Trump’s aid freeze has left humanitarian projects in Ukraine without funding in the middle of winter, prompting concerns that many would have to close down. Zelensky’s comments suggest that Kyiv is hoping that Europe and domestic funders can make up the shortfall as U.S. policy is being worked out.
What to Know
The United States has been the largest single source of aid to Ukraine, providing more than $37 billion in humanitarian aid, development assistance and direct budget support through its Agency for International Development, also known as USAID. But Trump issued an executive order on January 24 to freeze U.S. foreign development aid as it conducts a 90-day audit, raising fears among humanitarian organizations in Ukraine that rely heavily on the assistance.
The freeze does not apply to military assistance and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also signed a waiver on Wednesday that grants life-saving humanitarian assistance linked to medicine, medical treatment, shelter and food.
Zelensky said on Wednesday he had ordered government officials to review and report on the state of the humanitarian programs and to look to domestic and European funding sources for key projects in energy infrastructure, veterans’ affairs and border checkpoints.
He added that U.S. funding supports many energy “resilience programs” as the sector struggles to rebuild in the face of constant Russian attacks on critical infrastructure.
Boyechko from Hope for Ukraine said the U.S. funding is critical for health-care and educational programs and its suspension would leave more families falling into poverty and despair.
“The latest budget support that USAID offered in 2024 to Ukraine’s government and NGOs is only $3.9 billion, so it’s not the type of money they would cause any harm to the U.S. economy,” he said.
What People Are Saying
U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce on January 26: “President Trump stated clearly that the United States is no longer going to blindly dole out money with no return for the American people.
“Reviewing and realigning foreign assistance on behalf of hardworking taxpayers is not just the right thing to do, it is a moral imperative.”
Zelensky said: “We are dealing with all of this. I have also given instructions to continue the audit of the suspended areas of assistance from the United States.
“There must be more of our own and European engagement, especially in the humanitarian, security, and social areas. So that we can support our people now, while a new American policy is being formulated.”
Boyechko said: “This news has sent a shockwave through all our partners in Ukraine… It’s a very unfortunate policy shift if the U.S. is so quick to abandon those who are most vulnerable around the world.”
What Happens Next
All of the programs and grants without a waiver approved by the secretary of state were paused for 90 days while the audit is continuing.
Officials at the U.S. embassy in Kyiv have requested exemptions to preserve aid, and discussions on this are ongoing, according to Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, a Ukrainian lawmaker cited by The Financial Times.
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