Ukraine will soon consult with US on restoring USAID funding - Presidential Office
Photo: Deputy Head of the President's Office of Ukraine Iryna Vereshchuk (Getty Images)
The President's Office will soon begin substantive consultations with American partners. These consultations are necessary to ensure the prompt continuation of funding for humanitarian response projects in Ukraine (USAID), according to the Facebook page of Deputy Head of the President's Office of Ukraine, Iryna Vereshchuk.
"Regarding the suspension of USAID funding. Yes, this is an unexpected and unpleasant piece of news: both for the government and for the civil sector. However, this is not the first and will not be the last challenge that we must overcome," said Vereshchuk.
According to the Deputy Head of the President's Office, who oversees humanitarian response, "a 90-day pause from the key donor cannot fail to be concerning."
At the same time, Vereshchuk is confident that the humanitarian sector will stabilize.
"Very soon, we will begin substantive consultations with our American partners to ensure the prompt continuation of funding for humanitarian response projects in Ukraine. While we stabilize the situation, project teams must retain their staff and work achievements," she added.
US has suspended USAID funding
It should be noted that the US is the world's largest donor of financial assistance.
On January 21, US President Donald Trump announced a 90-day suspension of all foreign aid programs to review their alignment with his foreign policy.
On January 24, the US Department of State issued an order to "suspend operations" for all existing foreign aid and halted the issuance of new assistance.
The US Agency for International Development (USAID) branch in Ukraine also suspended project implementation and their funding.
