EU partners may fund Ukraine programs previously supported by USAID – Stefanishyna

Olga Stefanishyna, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration and Minister of Justice, said this during a conversation with journalists, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

The official noted that negotiations with European partners regarding the financing of programs previously implemented by USAID are ongoing. In particular, representatives from the Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Infrastructure, Ministry of Digital Transformation, and Ministry of Justice have held relevant meetings regarding the most critical programs.

"There are preliminary decisions on where urgent funding can be secured. These include issues of recovery, energy resilience, and cyber protection. At the same time, we expect the European Commission, together with the G7 countries, to soon announce their positions regarding the resumption of the work of competition committees that select key members of the judicial vertical," Stefanishyna said.

On January 20, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order suspending all foreign aid programs for 90 days to conduct reviews and determine whether they align with his policy objectives.

On January 24, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered the cessation of all foreign aid operations. The only exception made was for emergency food aid, which could include, among others, the Gaza Strip and Sudan.

The central office of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) did not reopen on February 3, and its employees were notified not to report to work. Rubio stated that he would take on the responsibility of serving as USAID administrator.

Subsequently, the Secretary of State stated that the suspension of U.S. foreign aid and the shutdown of USAID was due to the need to review payments, halt ineffective programs, and retain aid that makes sense.

Almost all USAID employees worldwide will go on administrative leave starting February 8.