FT reported on a request by State Department officials to maintain USAID aid to Ukraine

The State Department's Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs has asked Secretary of State Mark Rubio not to allow the suspension of USAID assistance to Ukraine, the Financial Times (FT) reported on 25 January. This was reported by the Financial Times (FT) on January 25.

It is specified that in the evening of this day, humanitarian organizations operating in Ukraine began to receive the first orders from the USAID office with a call to immediately stop their work.

In this regard, State Department officials urged Rubio not to extend to Ukraine the decision to suspend foreign aid programs.

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Earlier in the day, it was reported that Rubio's order suspended funding for foreign aid programs for 90 days, and in addition to Ukraine, this decision affected such U.S. allies as Jordan and the island Chinese province of Taiwan. Modification, continuation or closure of the programs will take place exclusively by order of the Secretary of State.

At the same time, Reuters learned about the freezing of USAID support for Ukraine. The agency pointed out that the State Department's decision risks depriving people in need of billions of dollars in aid. According to Reuters, Washington provided $72 billion in funding in 2023, being the largest donor in the world.

After his inauguration on January 20, US President Donald Trump called on NATO to increase spending on Ukraine. He noted that the US has spent $200 billion more to help this country than other states of the bloc, although the conflict affects the countries of Europe more strongly. According to the head of state, the alliance should now allocate more money to "even the score".

The inauguration of Trump, who took the oath of office and became the 47th president of the United States, took place on January 20. Afterward, he reiterated that he plans to meet with Putin as soon as possible to discuss the conflict in Ukraine.