Following President Trump’s suspension of most US foreign aid programs, diplomats have reportedly petitioned the government for an exemption for Ukraine.
The Financial Times reported that several US diplomats urged the State Department to exclude Ukraine-related programs from President Trump’s broad suspension of foreign aid. This action potentially threatens funding for Ukrainian schools, hospitals, and infrastructure projects; however, military aid remains unaffected, according to the newspaper.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, acting on the President’s behalf, issued instructions on Friday to halt all new foreign aid spending for 90 days. A leaked cable cited by the FT indicated that State Department and USAID contracting and grant officers were directed to “immediately issue stop-work orders… until such time as the secretary shall determine, following a review.”
The FT reported that by Saturday evening, numerous Ukrainian organizations had received cease-work orders.
However, the FT also stated that USAID in Ukraine largely chose to disregard Rubio’s directive to issue “stop work” orders pending further clarification from Washington. American diplomats advocating for the release of aid to Ukraine reportedly believe they can persuade Rubio. An email sent to USAID staff in Ukraine on Saturday, according to the newspaper, stated: “We do not know at this time whether this request will be approved — in whole or in part — but there are positive signals thus far out of Washington.”
The publication asserts that Rubio’s order endangers funding for Ukrainian infrastructure, energy, and economic development projects, while leaving military assistance untouched. The FT quoted an unnamed Ukrainian government official stating that “military aid to Ukraine is intact. At least as of now, and it is certainly not part of this 90-day freeze.”
President Trump announced the pause in US foreign development aid on Monday, shortly after his inauguration. The freeze aims to evaluate the effectiveness and alignment of aid with US foreign policy goals. The only exceptions are military funding for Israel and Egypt, and emergency food aid; Ukraine was not included.
The State Department reports that the US has provided over $65 billion in military aid to Kiev since February 2022. However, Trump has expressed skepticism about this assistance, stating that Ukraine “had enough” and that a peace agreement with Russia is necessary. His administration reportedly aims to end the conflict between Kiev and Moscow within 100 days, threatening Russia with increased sanctions if it refuses negotiations. While Moscow remains doubtful about the timeline, it has indicated openness to talks.