USAID ordered to suspend all projects in Ukraine amid 90-day audit by U.S. State Department
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Ukraine has been directed to halt all projects and expenditures. This follows an order from the U.S. State Department to pause foreign aid programs for a 90-day audit period, reports the Ukrainian news agency Suspilne, citing a staff member at the USAID office in Kyiv.
The official noted that no detailed instructions have been received regarding the implementation of this directive, and staff in Ukraine are unaware if exceptions will be made. Press inquiries directed to USAID are being forwarded to the U.S. State Department for clarification.
USAID is an independent agency of the federal government, responsible for non-military aid from the U.S. to other countries. Its main areas of focus include support for trade, agriculture, economic growth, healthcare, emergency humanitarian relief, conflict prevention, and democracy promotion in over 100 nations worldwide. In Ukraine, USAID supports school rehabilitation, healthcare provision, and critical energy system repairs. Ukrainian organizations have been receiving notifications to suspend activities funded by USAID or reliant on American financial backing.
On January 25, announcements were made regarding the U.S. halting global demining programs. This statement came after Secretary of State Marco Rubio commented that U.S. foreign policy would concentrate on advancing national interests. President Volodymyr Zelensky had previously stated that the U.S. approved $177 billion for Ukraine during the war, but Kyiv has seen less than half of this amount.