USAID goes down in history. The State Department takes over selected programs. “May not survive the year”
Since the full -glass invasion of Russia in February 2022, USAID has played a key role in Ukraine. She provided her with the necessary support in many sectors, from direct budget assistance to humanitarian aid, economic development and the repair of basic infrastructure.
On Tuesday, July 1, the Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that USAID officially ceased its activity. “Foreign aid programs in accordance with administration policy and America's interests will be taken over by the State Department,” he announced.
Rubio described a new approach as “Priority treatment of trade over help, possibilities over dependence and investment over support“.
Tall -ranking officials of the State Department during briefing for journalists said that USAID was a “unsuccessful undertaking” that did not reduce the dependence of other countries on the United States. They emphasized that other nations would now have to take more decisive actions.
– We want to see more bilateral commitment. We want to see trade agreements, cooperation agreements – said one of the officials, adding that the administration is considering introducing new indicators that will allow to assess the effectiveness of aid provided by the US.
On Tuesday, Kyiv Post talked to two former high -ranking USAID officials who were directly involved in the activities of the agency in Ukraine. They both received anonymity so that they could speak freely on this topic.
– Everyone in USAID was ready to cooperate with the administration In order to determine what the implementation of programs in Ukraine could look like in harmony with the policy of “America First” – emphasized one of the former employees.
Officials have announced that USAID representatives from the Transitional Initiative Office met with a 120-person team of agencies in Ukraine and discussed some ideas presented by the administration. They concerned, among others support for a contract on mineral extraction or help in creating conditions for the room.
– We have always tried to provide the most current information. We were the only institution, which could realistically react for events such as the pad explosion in Kachowce or the liberation of Chersonia and Kharkov – another former agency employee added.
– Thanks to the fields in the field, under the USAID banner, Ukrainians and Ukrainian officials knew that they had a reliable partner in the US – they emphasized.
According to an analysis carried out by the independent Non-Profit Acaps organization since the Russian invasion in 2022. The US government has donated over $ 30 billion to Ukraine. (PLN 108 billion 270 million) direct budget support through USAID and related mechanisms to help maintain the functioning of the government and public services.
Demonstration against the plans to liquidate USAID before the Capitol in Washington, February 5, 2025.
USAID humanitarian aid for Ukraine exceeded $ 3 billion. (PLN 10 billion 827 million) in the years 2022–2024, covering about 30 percent. costs of humanitarian aid of this country. At the end of 2024, USAID managed 39 active programs in Ukraine with a total budget of $ 4.28 billion. (PLN 15 billion 447 million).
“The Department of State has no plan”
Although it was not entirely clear how many of these programs could be continued, the high -ranking official of the State Department rejected criticism on Tuesday that the activities of Trump's administration could lead to their significant restriction. In his opinion, “many life -saving activities will be continued and will become more effective.”
He also stated that the “operational gap” was not expected in connection with the closing of USAID, indicating that “part of the staff from the agency and other places” was employed in the Department of State.
The sources that Kyiv Post talked to did not agree with this opinion. According to former officials, there are several contracts regarding Ukraine that have been “transferred to the Department of State”, but there are no legal mechanisms enabling their real performance.
– I think that about six to seven people from the Ukrainian branch of USAID went to the Department of State and were employed in express mode. Recruitment began on Friday evening, and the applications had to be submitted until noon on Monday – said Kyiv Post one of the former officials. He added that “the people who applied are people involved in the fight to maintain what was left of foreign help in Ukraine.”
“These are several programs about health, energy and cyber security,” said another former official, asked about other US help programs in Ukraine.
As for the actual implementation of these contracts, former officials say that the State Department “There is no plan” – There was no real opportunity to discuss the policy and strategy” America First “in Ukraine,” said one of the former officials, emphasizing that he would be very surprised, “if these contracts reach the end of the year.”
– We are most afraid that without employees with contacts in Ukraine, the Department of State i The Trump administration will try to make decisions for Ukraine, not with Ukraine. This will naturally lead to the breakdown of relationships with our most likely the strongest ally in Eastern Europe and a reliable partner in the fight for democracy and the protection of our common values - summed up officials.
