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Rubio added exceptions to the US aid freeze: does anything relate to Ukraine
Kyiv • UNN
The U.S. Secretary of State has allowed the continuation of funding for humanitarian programs during the 90-day moratorium. The Pentagon's military aid to Ukraine has not been affected, but civilian programs have been suspended.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has added exceptions to the decision on a 90-day freeze on U.S. foreign aid, reports AP, writes UNN.
Details
U.S.-funded aid programs around the world are laying off staff and suspending or preparing to suspend operations, as the unprecedented freeze by the Trump administration on almost all foreign aid has led to a sudden halt in their work, the publication notes.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who initially excluded only emergency food programs and military aid to Israel and Egypt from the aid suspension, on Tuesday agreed to at least temporarily continue spending money on humanitarian programs that provide vital medicines, medical services, food, shelter and subsistence assistance, according to a copy of the document obtained by AP.
Although some in the aid community expressed hope that Rubio's move would save more programs that support the lives of refugees, the seriously ill and others around the world, U.S.-funded programs of all kinds have accelerated the pace of layoffs, furloughs and program shutdowns, the publication notes.
What about Ukraine?
"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has indicated that the U.S. freeze does not affect vital U.S. support for his military. This is largely true," the publication states.
"The only military aid overseen by the State Department and thus subject to the pause is foreign military financing and international military education and training. There are other buckets for U.N. peacekeeping operations and demining programs," the publication writes.
And most of Ukraine's military aid, the publication notes, comes from the Pentagon. "This includes a program based on existing weapons stocks, and another called the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which is used to pay for weapons contracts that won't be delivered for a year or more," the publication states.
"None of the Defense Department's programs are directly affected by the freeze, and U.S. officials say there is nothing in the works either," the publication notes.
"But civilian programs, vital to Ukraine's war efforts, come from the State Department. For them, there is no word of exceptions. This includes payroll support that the U.S. provides to help keep Ukraine's government operating despite the damage the war has done to its economy," the publication states.
This support is important, said Bradley Bowman of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. "But I think if our European allies understand the political moment in the United States, they would be better off, I would say, acting quickly to try to take on more or all of that burden," he noted.
It is also noted that "the U.S. has issued orders to stop work on wartime civilian programs it supports in Ukraine".
Supplement
U.S. President Donald Trump last week ordered a 90-day freeze to give the administration time to review which of the thousands of humanitarian, development and security aid programs will continue to receive U.S. money.