The consequences can be catastrophic
The suspension of US humanitarian aid for Ukraine (military aid has not been suspended) will affect many areas of life: salaries for teachers, wellness professionals, civilian servants; cybersecurity and digital transformation; reconstruction; support for the energy, agricultural, public and media sectors; reintegration of veterans; supply of medicines and vaccinations; business; evacuation of civilians from the combat zone; support for internally displaced people, etc. And this is only part of the areas in Ukraine covered by USAID so far.
In a comment for Radio Liberty MP Inna Sowsun explains that USID's assistance from the beginning of the invasion was essential for Ukraine's budget. In her opinion, this critical area may endure the most.
According to the Financial Times, U.S. officials from the Office of European and Eurasian Affairs in the State Department have already asked U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to make an exception for Ukraine from the freezing order for US aid to another countries. ‘At the moment, we do not know whether this proposal will be approved, in full or in part, but There are affirmative signals coming from Washington." – we read in an email sent on January 25 to USAID employees in Ukraine.
On January 26, Reuters published details of the memo received by USAID employees. "We are committed to supporting the president in the implementation of his vision," wrote Ken Jackson, assistant admin for management and resources. – The president has given us a large chance to change our approach to abroad aid for the coming decades – to put America first."
Marco Rubio, fresh Secretary of State in Trump's office, announced these changes on the eve of the decision to suspend aid: – all dollar we issue, all programme we finance, and all policy we implement must be justified by 3 simple questions: “Does that make America safer?” “Does it make America stronger?” "Will this make America more prosperous?".
Why US aid was frozen
Representatives of Ukrainian initiatives receiving assistance, with which the Sestras talked, said they expected the fresh US government to revise abroad aid policy.
During the election campaign, Trump opposed the provision of abroad aid, which usually represents about 1% of the national budget – but in emergency situations, as was the case with military support from Ukraine. He besides criticised the appropriations allocated Ukraine to defend against Russian aggression.
However, what is shocking to many recipients of U.S. aid is that this decision influenced the previously agreed programs that the US legislature had already allocated funds to. During the 90-day audit and inspection break, any financial transactions relating to projects – even those in the course of implementation which affect obligations towards contractors and employees – are prohibited. any recipients of aid are afraid that not all programmes will resume erstwhile the audit is completed.
Unofficial information appears that programmes that are reportedly not in the interest of the fresh US government policy will be drastically reduced. In particular, those aimed at protecting women's rights, equality, integration, social justice and the environment.
– The task manager calms us down that the program can continue. There is no panic, but they inform us that we may gotta quit any areas specified as wellness and women's rights, sex equality, etc. We can't believe it yet. “The head of a large Ukrainian NGO anonymously tells us.
Uliana Mowwan, the founder of the Connection agency and an expert on communication and fundraising, shared a akin reflection with us: – Trump has already issued a separate decree to close all offices and liquidate positions dealing with diversity, equality, integration and accessibility (DEIA) and environmental justice. A direct quote from his administration is: "Biden's administration imposed illegal and immoral discrimination programmes called “diversity, equality and inclusion”... This is expected for all akin backing programmes. It is not yet known whether this will besides apply to anti-violence programmes."
However, it can be assumed that since the Trump administration recognises the usefulness of UNICEF, support for children and families has the chance to stay a priority.
However, there is no authoritative confirmation of this position yet. An anonymous USAID worker in Kiev told Suspilne that they had no detailed instructions on how to implement the directive or whether there would be exceptions. The applicable request has already been submitted to the U.S. State Department.
MAANSI SRIVASTAVA / PAP“Make America large Again” cap
How Trump's decision affects Ukraine
The decision of Donald Trump's administration sparked strong reactions from the Ukrainian community. The “radophiles” are convinced that the U.S. is an unreliable partner, and they set an example of Afghanistan, which they believe was abandoned by Americans.
Similar concerns are shared by those who work in the public sector and are active in discussions on the decision to suspend aid: "There is simply a fear that Ukraine will be imposed unjustly “peace”, return to the Russian agenda and the people who worked to guarantee democracy, freedom and human rights will be left to themselves or become enemies." There are besides those who are happy to know that soros' beneficiaries will be without funds.
Others do not approve of the suspension of aid, but realize the Trump administration’s desire to check the effectiveness of spending. For example, Volodymyr Omelian, a erstwhile Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine, now a associate of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, wrote on FB: “My secret want is that, after resuming the aid, at least half of the anti-corruption measures should be directed towards good management – creating conditions to attract to civilian service truly professional, devoted people.”
According to Oksana Kujancewa, a associate of the board of the Charitative Foundation “East SOS” and the founder of “Comfortable Space”, a nationwide psychosocial and legal support network, not everyone in Ukraine understands how powerful the US aid was and how much its failure threatens the main beneficiaries of this support:
– Our foundation has been operating since 2014 and in cooperation with USAID – since 2022. With this support, we have created a network of safe spaces in Zaporozh, Kharkiv, Nikolayov, Cherkas, Winnica and Kropywnicki, where we supply psychosocial and legal assistance to adults, as well as organizing activities for children.
Over 2 years more than 50,000 internally displaced persons have received support from the network. Since 2023, the USAID has financed half of the cost of evacuation from front areas.
Since 2022, more than 88 000 people (including 12.1 000 people with reduced mobility) have left the war zone. With the support of the USAID, we repair houses in the Kharkiv and Donetsk circuits, which were damaged by fire and where people inactive live – we repair roofs and doors, we insert fresh windows.
Currently, the foundation conducts activities co-financed by the German Ministry of abroad Affairs, regularly collecting funds from various donors, collecting private donations abroad. And she hopes she won't gotta wait until 90 days to reactivate the USAID program.
According to Otar Dovzenka, creative manager of the Lviv Media Forum, If American backing does not return or is drastically reduced, dozens will vanish from Ukrainian space by the end of 2025, if not hundreds of media, among them many very valuable.
Dowzenko explains that before 2022 the Ukrainian media marketplace had been weakened due to the fact that in the last fewer years it received 2 powerful blows: first there was an economical crisis, caused in 2014 by Russian aggression, then the crisis in 2020, caused by coronavirus epidemic. At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, 2 major sources of commercial media gross – advertising and content sales – disappeared for any time. The Russians destroyed or seized tv and radio networks and editorials, many media workers were killed, and most of the others are in exile today.
At the same time, media owners – politicians, oligarchs, businessmen with political ambitions – refused to subsidize them due to the fact that during the war there is no election in the country, so the media cannot supply "election dividends". Under these circumstances, grants became the only way to last for many Ukrainian editorials.
– A typical situation for many regions where there are respective valuable media, transparent, liable and free from political influence, media is mostly possible through grants – this is Dowzenko. "It is these media that will endure most and most likely will be closed.
Media, which, for example, takes money from local authorities to do PR for them, those which are inactive funded by their owners or print crypto advertising material, will have a better chance of surviving. Although American money is not the only origin of grants, it is the most crucial and largest. Cancellation of grants to advance diversity – women's rights, minorities, equality, LGBT etc. – will besides have disastrous consequences. These grants enabled media with limited resources to draw attention to topics that were seldom at the centre of interest of the average Ukrainian newsroom. This does not mean that specified topics will not be discussed at all. However, this will greatly affect the quantity and quality of materials. And so – to defend women and minorities.
