Suspension Of Ukraine USAID Funding Results From Decisions By Ukraine- Got Greedy. Funding A Cooking Show Becomes Metaphor For Abusing Generosity.
Suspension Of USAID Funding In Ukraine Results From Decisions By Ukraine- Got Greedy.
Smart Play? President Zelensky Should Welcome A Pause In USAID Program Funding- Saying This Is A Good Moment For The Government Of Ukraine To Review What United States Taxpayers Are Providing And Make Adjustments- Downward. Everything Essential In 2022, 2023, And 2024, Is Not Essential In 2025.
Funding A Cooking Show Becomes Metaphor For Abusing Generosity.
On 26 January 2025, the first instinct of the government of Ukraine was to find others to provide replacement funds when the first instinct should have been to determine whether funding allocated on behalf of United States taxpayers was essential.
“I have already given instructions to do some key things with our internal funds and also to talk to Europeans” to continue support for “critically important projects” to support the economy, energy, infrastructure, health, and veterans. Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine (2019-2025; first term extended indefinitely due to martial law)
European Union (EU): Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden.
What defined “essential” in 2022 was not what defined “essential” in 2023, not what defined “essential” in 2024, and is not defining “essential” in 2025.
Rather than conduct an audit to determine what United States taxpayer-borrowed funding dispersed by the Washington DC-based United States Agency for International Development (USAID) throughout Ukraine is essential, statements by officials throughout the executive branch and legislative branch of the government of Ukraine were focused upon seeking exemptions- and to seek additional funding.
USAID has provided Ukraine with more than US$2.6 billion in humanitarian assistance, more than US$5 billion in development assistance, and more than US$30 billion in direct budget support.
“The Biden-Harris Administration embraced an unaccountable cabal, primarily a women-led one, who recoiled from any conversation about whether USAID spending was appropriate- was it essential to the mission or was it like a teenager’s infatuation with a rock star? USAID officials dismissed any comment they didn’t agree with as from a source who was ignorant. USAID came to believe that every United States Dollar was essential, must be allocated, and more funding must be sought.” Senior Official, Trump-Vance Administration
For the Trump-Vance Administration (2025-2029), the USAID Ukraine problem is twofold. First, is appropriate the totality of the United States Dollar value of what political appointees and career officials at USAID dispersed in Ukraine during the Biden-Harris Administration (2021-2025). Second, is to question what those officials did with the money and why no one within the government of Ukraine questioned publicly the appropriateness of any funding allocations.
To paraphrase Nancy Reagan, First Lady of the United States (1981-1989), where was the “Just Say No” response to some of the USAID funding ideas and requests?
For The White House, an example of the arrogance of the government of Ukraine in its abuse of the generosity of United States taxpayers.
The Trump-Vance Administration USAID review process is impacted by decisions implemented by the Biden-Harris Administration that appear not been a productive, an essential use of United States taxpayer funds. For example:
Borrowing US$230 million for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to assist Ukraine-based companies to “meet EU regulations” and “export more of their products and services into Europe”
Borrowing US$225 Million to “speed up the transportation of Ukrainian goods to the EU”
Borrowing for “Partnership Fund for a Resilient Ukraine (PFRU)’s financing partners and other distinguished guests participated in the master class on preparing traditional dish of one of Ukraine’s ethnic groups… Next week we will reveal what kind of dish our financing partners were cooking, so stay tuned😉”
The Trump-Vance Administration will ask why the government of Ukraine did not refuse United States taxpayer funds to produce a cooking show and to assist Ukraine-based companies’ engagement with EU-member countries.
From an increasing number of Members of the United States Congress, the government of Ukraine took advantage and continues to take advantage of the generosity of United States taxpayers.
The Trump-Vance Administration is asking why the globally vaunted public relations team within the offices of President Zelensky got greedy and failed to appreciate what was appropriate and what was not appropriate.
President Zelensky spent money on a non-essential 7 December 2024 visit to Paris, France, to attend the re-opening of Notre Dame Cathedral. According to an official of the government of Ukraine, President Zelensky wanted spend money to attend the 9 January 2025 funeral of Jimmy Carter, 39th President of the United States (1977-1981). President Zelensky actively sought to spend money to attend the 20 January 2024 inauguration of Donald Trump as 47th President of the United States. President Zelensky proposed spending approximately US$600,000.00 to send one hundred fifty (150) firefighters from Ukraine to Los Angeles, California.
From the perspective of officials within the Trump-Vance Administration, United States taxpayers- who are borrowing the funds directed to Ukraine, should have never been and should no longer be focused upon anything other than “critically important projects.”
Is this essential? “Tetiana Kovryga, head of a Ukrainian NGO called GoGlobal, said she had to suspend the trip for the youths from the Sumy and Kharkiv regions after President Donald Trump paused development assistance from the U.S. Agency for International Development.”
Also impacted are conference organizers, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), think tanks, universities, and others receiving USAID funds who dominated the help-Ukraine conferences in 2022, 2023, and 2024. In 2025, the bell curve for the marketability of Ukraine-related conferences is migrating as the focus of the Trump-Vance Administration shifts from winning a war to ending a war and messaging shifts from what is wanted to what is likely.
United States Department of State
Washington DC
26 January 2025
Implementing the President’s Executive Order on Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid
Consistent with President Trump’s Executive Order on Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid, Secretary Rubio has paused all U.S. foreign assistance funded by or through the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) for review. He is initiating a review of all foreign assistance programs to ensure they are efficient and consistent with U.S. foreign policy under the America First agenda.
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. The Secretary is proud to protect America’s investment with a deliberate and judicious review of how we spend foreign assistance dollars overseas.
The mandate from the American people was clear – we must refocus on American national interests. The Department and USAID take their role as stewards of taxpayer dollars very seriously. The implementation of this Executive Order and the Secretary’s direction furthers that mission. As Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said, “Every dollar we spend, every program we fund, and every policy we pursue must be justified with the answer to three simple questions: Does it make America safer? Does it make America stronger? Does it make America more prosperous?”
The White House
Washington DC
20 January 2025
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
Section 1. Purpose. The United States foreign aid industry and bureaucracy are not aligned with American interests and in many cases antithetical to American values. They serve to destabilize world peace by promoting ideas in foreign countries that are directly inverse to harmonious and stable relations internal to and among countries.
Sec. 2. Policy. It is the policy of United States that no further United States foreign assistance shall be disbursed in a manner that is not fully aligned with the foreign policy of the President of the United States.
Sec. 3. (a) 90-day pause in United States foreign development assistance for assessment of programmatic efficiencies and consistency with United States foreign policy. All department and agency heads with responsibility for United States foreign development assistance programs shall immediately pause new obligations and disbursements of development assistance funds to foreign countries and implementing non-governmental organizations, international organizations, and contractors pending reviews of such programs for programmatic efficiency and consistency with United States foreign policy, to be conducted within 90 days of this order. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) shall enforce this pause through its apportionment authority. (b) Reviews of United States foreign assistance programs. Reviews of each foreign assistance program shall be ordered by the responsible department and agency heads under guidelines provided by the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Director of OMB. (c) Determinations. The responsible department and agency heads, in consultation with the Director of OMB, will make determinations within 90 days of this order on whether to continue, modify, or cease each foreign assistance program based upon the review recommendations, with the concurrence of the Secretary of State. (d) Resumption of paused development assistance funding. New obligations and disbursements of foreign development assistance funds may resume for a program prior to the end of the 90-day period if a review is conducted, and the Secretary of State or his designee, in consultation with the Director of OMB, decide to continue the program in the same or modified form. Additionally, any other new foreign assistance programs and obligations must be approved by the Secretary of State or his designee, in consultation with the Director of OMB. (e) Waiver. The Secretary of State may waive the pause in Section 3(a) for specific programs.
Sec. 4. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect: (i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or (ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals. (b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations. (c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
LINK TO COMPLETE ANALYSIS IN PDF FORMAT
Kyiv Independent
Kyiv, Ukraine
29 January 2025
Ukrainian lawmakers seek to temporarily replace USAID with European funding
Ukraine's parliamentary humanitarian and information policy committee launched consultations with their European counterparts on a temporary replacement of American funding under the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the committee announced on Jan. 29. U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on his inauguration day suspending foreign aid programs for 90 days so they can be reviewed to ensure they align with "American interests" and "American values." The pause in funding could last for three to six months, according to the committee's statement. In Ukraine, the organizations affected provide a huge range of humanitarian services, including counseling, organizing cultural events, and providing basic services, often to some of the most vulnerable segments of society. Agricultural and reconstruction projects, as well as energy infrastructure repairs have also been put on hold due to the decision. A number of Ukrainian independent media were also left without critical funding. "While the audit is ongoing, Ukraine must take prompt action to avoid destabilizing key processes in the country, as well as to foresee its actions in this direction in the future," the committee said. President Volodymyr Zelensky said that he had ordered a report on U.S.-funded projects in Ukraine affected the freeze on foreign assistance. "USAID's assistance is an important part of (Ukraine's) path to democratic development and sustainability, especially in the current geopolitical environment," the committee added.
Kyiv Independent
Kyiv, Ukraine
29 January 2025
Zelensky looks to domestic, EU funders for key projects amid US aid freeze
President Volodymyr Zelensky has directed the government to identify domestic and European funding sources for key projects in energy infrastructure, veterans' affairs, and border checkpoints during the 90-day freeze on U.S. foreign aid. U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on his inauguration day suspending foreign assistance programs for 90 days, jeopardizing many critical humanitarian aid projects in Ukraine. "I have already instructed some key things to be done at our own expense, as well as to talk to the Europeans," Zelensky said on Jan. 29, following an initial report on suspended U.S.-funded programs in Ukraine. The president on Jan. 28 ordered government officials to review and report on the state of these programs. Following the initial report, Zelensky said the government was prioritizing programs concerning the energy sector, military veterans, and border crossings. The president also mentioned issues with the Health Ministry and cybersecurity. "We are dealing with all this," he said. According to Zelensky, U.S. funding supports many energy "resilience programs" in Ukrainian cities and villages. Ukraine's energy sector is struggling to rebuild in the face of targeted Russian attacks on critical infrastructure. In December 2024, Russia carried out one of its largest assaults on Ukraine's electric grid, launching 90 missiles and 200 drones against the country's thermal power plants. The announcement of Trump's aid freeze sparked fears that it would help Russia's efforts to destroy the power grid. "Does that mean that we will abandon Ukraine in the middle of winter? Because USAID has been providing critical funding for the rebuilding of their electric grid every time Russia attacks it," U.S. Senator Chris Coons said in response to the order. Regarding veterans, Zelensky said U.S. aid funded veteran hubs, support lines, and other projects, including a program that helped veterans start their own businesses. U.S. funding also contributed to the modernization of border crossings in Ukraine. "New modern checkpoints are built to make economic activity faster and the work of customs officers more transparent," the president said. Zelensky said that Ukraine and European partners needed to work together to cover the funding gaps over the next 90 days. The announcement comes as Ukrainian lawmakers say they are consulting with European counterparts on temporarily replacing U.S. aid. "(T)here should be more of our and European activity in the humanitarian, security, and social areas," Zelensky said. "We need to support people now, while a new American policy is being developed." The pause on foreign aid does not apply to military assistance to Ukraine. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also signed a waiver on Jan. 28 that grants "life-saving humanitarian assistance" an exception to the pause. The exception applies to "core life-saving medicine, medical services, food, shelter, and subsistence assistance, as well as supplies and reasonable administrative costs as necessary to deliver such assistance," according to the waiver.
Kyiv Independent
Kyiv, Ukraine
29 January 2025
Ukraine was among the many countries receiving the aid distributed through the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID. Since the full-scale war began in 2022, the agency has disbursed $30 billion in Ukraine, funding projects ranging from democracy support and humanitarian relief to local community development and key reforms. This aid paid for bomb shelters in schools, modern hospital equipment, and materials for small farmers to support agriculture. It sponsored anti-disinformation campaigns and mental health programs. Wherever you went, you’d find good, change-making projects bearing the USAID logo. If I were an American taxpayer, I’d feel proud.
Kyiv Independent
Kyiv, Ukraine
27 January 2025
Trump suspends aid to Ukraine, vital NGOs 'don't know if they'll survive'
U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to freeze foreign development assistance for 90 days has thrown Ukrainian organizations into turmoil, in some cases threatening their very existence and leaving the people they support in limbo. These non-profit organizations provide a huge range of humanitarian services, including counseling, organizing cultural events, and providing basic services, often to some of the most vulnerable segments of society. "Honestly, we still don’t fully understand the scope of the impact this decision will have on the civic sector and everyone affected," Olha Kucher, head of the services department at Veteran Hub, an NGO that supports Ukrainian soldiers, war veterans, and their families, told the Kyiv Independent on Jan 27. "The civic sector plays a massive role in supporting veterans and their families, particularly through psychosocial services, as we do."
One of Trump's first actions upon entering the White House was to sign an executive order freezing foreign development assistance for 90 days to conduct a review and ensure it aligns with the new administration's policies. The wording of the executive order was broad, making no distinction between humanitarian and military aid, and no mention of any exemptions. The Pentagon clarified on Jan. 23 that relating to Ukraine, the directive "only applies to development programs, not military support." President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Jan. 25 that the U.S. aid had not stopped flowing to Ukraine. But any relief that crucial U.S. weapons would still be sent to Ukraine was tempered by the prospect of a pause in humanitarian aid. This was compounded a day later when U.S. State Secretary Marco Rubio issued "stop-work orders" on nearly all existing foreign assistance grants. The orders were effective immediately. "State just totally went nuclear on foreign assistance," one unnamed State Department official told Politico. As a result, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) was ordered to stop projects in Ukraine. Affected organizations were notified of the decision on the morning of Jan. 25.
Ukraine currently tops the recipient list of U.S. development assistance as it continues to face Russia’s war, official data shows. Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, USAID has provided Ukraine with $2.6 billion in humanitarian aid, $5 billion in development assistance, and more than $30 billion in direct budget support.
At a stroke, organizations in Ukraine have been left in dire financial straits. One of them is “Cukr,” an NGO and media outlet based in Sumy, a city in northeastern Ukraine located just 30 kilometers from the Russian border that has been heavily affected by the war. "If we lose all of our U.S. funding, we won’t last 90 days without additional support." "If we lose all of our U.S. funding, we won’t last 90 days without additional support," Dmytro Tishchenko, Cukr co-founder, told the Kyiv Independent. As well as being a media channel, Cukr (which means “sugar” in Ukrainian, with a tweak) organizes concerts and festivals, and also provides educational workshops on business and mental health, badly-needed resources for those living in a region that is one of the hardest hit by daily Russian missile, glide bomb, and drone attacks. Tishchenko said 30% of the organization's funding was currently frozen and all planned events tied to that money had been canceled. "Even if we try to use alternative resources for these projects, we’ll need to rethink how to implement them," he said. Valerii Garmash, head of "Makes Sense," an NGO dedicated to developing independent journalism in Ukraine, told the Kyiv Independent that the USAID freeze, even if lifted after 90 days, threatens the survival of her organization and others like it. "A large number of organizations will simply cease to exist, they don’t know how they are supposed to survive." she said, adding: "Great organizations, valuable organizations, important organizations. But they really could, and theoretically might, just stop existing." Garmash said the USAID freeze will have an "enormous impact" on the work of Makes Sense, potentially threatening a hub it operates in Sloviansk, a city in embattled Donetsk Oblast, that supports journalists heading to report from the front lines. "It would mean we simply wouldn’t be able to support them, provide them with bulletproof vests, helmets, medical kits, give them a place to work, charge their equipment, or even just have coffee in a warm space," she said. "It would mean we simply wouldn’t be able to support them, provide them with bulletproof vests, helmets, medical kits, give them a place to work, charge their equipment, or even just have coffee in a warm space." As well as the precarious financial situation now facing the NGOs, individuals working from them have lost their jobs, at least temporarily.
The head of a regional office for a State Department-funded organization in Ukraine spoke with the Kyiv Independent on condition of anonymity due to the fear of retaliation for speaking out. He said that the organization has projects funded by USAID that involve Ukrainian contractors. Due to the freeze, they will lose income from these projects. "I explained the situation to them, and, you know, they're part-time contractors, this might not be their only livelihood, but for some people, it will be," he said. "Three months can be a very long time, and if they can't pay their rent, or something like that, that's the situation that these people can be in," he added. Hopes had been raised that Ukraine could be made exempt from the USAID freeze on Jan. 25, when the Financial Times (FT) reported that senior diplomats in the State Department’s Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs requested a full waiver for operations in Ukraine, citing national security concerns.
This had gone unheeded a day later when a U.S. State Department press release said Rubio had "paused all U.S. foreign assistance funded by or through the State Department and USAID for review." But an American working for a State Department-funded organization in Ukraine told the Kyiv Independent on condition of anonymity that the waiver could still be being processed. "It's unlikely that they would have received an answer by now. I mean, it's only Monday," they said, adding "I don't think any waivers would have been processed in time. It's possible that a waiver for Ukraine could still happen." The Kyiv Independent contacted USAID about the status of the waiver request but had not received a reply at the time of publication. In any case, until either the 90 days are up and USAID assistance resumes or the waiver request is approved, some of the most vulnerable people in Ukraine will be left without crucial support. Kucher, head of the services department at Veterans Hub, says that as well as providing in-person counseling and support to veterans, the organization’s 24-hour support hotline handles 1,300 calls a month. "For veterans and their families, knowing that there’s someone they can rely on at any time is critical," she said. "Any change, especially in uncertain times like these, is challenging for everyone. It’s unpredictable and unsettling."
