US aid to Ukraine suspended

Diplomats are calling for an urgent exemption for Ukraine after Senator Marco Rubio issued a 90-day freeze on US foreign aid.

More than 60 senior officials at the world’s largest humanitarian aid donor, the US Agency for International Development (USAID), have been put on leave.

An additional 10,000 have been threatened with “disciplinary action” if they ignore a worldwide stop-work order.

While emergency food and military funding for Israel and Egypt is exempt, Ukraine’s is not. It has received more than $37.6 billion from USAID since the war started.

Projects supported include: the repair of power grids, schools and hospitals after shelling; psychological support, prostheses and treatment for war veterans; the work of independent local media; evacuation from frontline territories; and assisting farmers with demining, seed and fertiliser costs.

The consequences of severing US aid to Ukraine are far-reaching. Ukraine is one of the world’s largest grain exporters, and the seeding season is starting soon.