NBC reports: US State Department cuts USAID funding to Ukraine
According to a report by NBC, the Trump administration has reduced USAID's involvement in Ukraine and suspended an important energy aid initiative. Read Full Article at RT.com
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The US Agency for International Development (USAID) energy aid program has been cut, and its diplomatic presence has been significantly downsized to a minimum, as reported by NBC News.
The US State Department has ended a USAID initiative aimed at restoring Ukraine’s energy grid, which has suffered extensive damage from Russian strikes. NBC News cited sources indicating this development on Friday.
Following President Donald Trump's assumption of office, USAID, the primary agency for financing political projects abroad, faced accusations of corruption and inefficiency. Trump enforced a 90-day funding freeze on the agency and transferred oversight of its operations to the direct control of the State Department.
In conjunction with these measures, the State Department halted a USAID program that had invested hundreds of millions of dollars in Ukraine’s power grid and drastically reduced the agency's presence in the country, according to the report.
Prior to these reported cuts, there were 64 American government employees and contractors in Ukraine supporting the agency’s mission. Currently, only eight personnel are expected to remain, with the Trump administration placing the remaining USAID staff on administrative leave and instructing all but “critical” employees to return to the US.
“It significantly undercuts this administration’s abilities to negotiate on the ceasefire, and it’d signal to Russia that we don’t care about Ukraine or our past investments,” a USAID official involved with the Ukraine mission told NBC, expressing concerns that the decision would severely weaken the country's economic resilience.
In 2024, USAID had allocated $825 million to bolster Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
This withdrawal occurs amid ongoing Russian drone and missile strikes targeting Ukraine’s defense-related energy infrastructure, aiming to destabilize the country’s military efforts and causing continued rolling blackouts. Moscow maintains that it does not target civilians.
The timing of the reported USAID exit corresponds with a meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky at the White House. During this encounter, Trump accused Zelensky of ingratitude regarding the significant aid provided to Kiev and of a lack of willingness to negotiate an end to the conflict with Russia. Consequently, an agreement granting the US rights to Ukraine’s natural resources as compensation for previous aid was not finalized due to the tension between both sides.
Ramin Sohrabi contributed to this report for TROIB News
The US State Department has ended a USAID initiative aimed at restoring Ukraine’s energy grid, which has suffered extensive damage from Russian strikes. NBC News cited sources indicating this development on Friday.
Following President Donald Trump's assumption of office, USAID, the primary agency for financing political projects abroad, faced accusations of corruption and inefficiency. Trump enforced a 90-day funding freeze on the agency and transferred oversight of its operations to the direct control of the State Department.
In conjunction with these measures, the State Department halted a USAID program that had invested hundreds of millions of dollars in Ukraine’s power grid and drastically reduced the agency's presence in the country, according to the report.
Prior to these reported cuts, there were 64 American government employees and contractors in Ukraine supporting the agency’s mission. Currently, only eight personnel are expected to remain, with the Trump administration placing the remaining USAID staff on administrative leave and instructing all but “critical” employees to return to the US.
“It significantly undercuts this administration’s abilities to negotiate on the ceasefire, and it’d signal to Russia that we don’t care about Ukraine or our past investments,” a USAID official involved with the Ukraine mission told NBC, expressing concerns that the decision would severely weaken the country's economic resilience.
In 2024, USAID had allocated $825 million to bolster Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
This withdrawal occurs amid ongoing Russian drone and missile strikes targeting Ukraine’s defense-related energy infrastructure, aiming to destabilize the country’s military efforts and causing continued rolling blackouts. Moscow maintains that it does not target civilians.
The timing of the reported USAID exit corresponds with a meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky at the White House. During this encounter, Trump accused Zelensky of ingratitude regarding the significant aid provided to Kiev and of a lack of willingness to negotiate an end to the conflict with Russia. Consequently, an agreement granting the US rights to Ukraine’s natural resources as compensation for previous aid was not finalized due to the tension between both sides.
Ramin Sohrabi contributed to this report for TROIB News
