USAID is also drastically cutting its presence in Ukraine, going from 64 American government employees and contractors on the ground to just eight.
The State Department has terminated an initiative through the US Agency for International Development (USAID) that has into Ukraine hundreds of millions of dollars to help restore the country’s energy grid.
The termination of this initiative occurred this week, two USAID officials working on the agency’s Ukraine mission told NBC. One of the officials said, "It significantly undercuts this administration’s abilities to negotiate on the ceasefire, and it’d signal to Russia that we don’t care about Ukraine or our past investments."
The official added, "Russia is fighting a two-pronged war in Ukraine: A military one but also an economic one. They’re trying to crush the economy, but USAID has played a central role in helping it be resilient, [including] shoring up the energy grid…We’ve provided vast amount of support to the Ukrainian government to avoid a macro economic crisis."
USAID is also drastically cutting its presence in the Eastern European country, going from 64 American government employees and contractors on the ground to just eight.
NBC's report comes after a meeting at the White House between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky turned tense, with Zelensky being tossed from the building and Trump saying that he could return "when he is ready for Peace." Trump said that Zelensky "disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office," with reports saying that the Ukrainian leader was "shrugging and rolling his eyes" during the meeting.
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