The Power Within: The Kyiv Independent’s first-ever magazine. Be among the first to get it.

pre-order now
Skip to content
Edit post

Rubio issues humanitarian waiver for Trump's foreign aid freeze

by Boldizsar Gyori January 29, 2025 11:20 AM  (Updated: ) 2 min read
US State Secretary Marco Rubio greets employees upon arrival at the State Department in Washington, DC, on January 21, 2025 (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)
This audio is created with AI assistance

Editor's Note: This story has been updated to include the White House press statement and published waiver.

U.S. State Secretary Marco Rubio has backtracked on a near-total freeze of U.S. foreign aid, issuing a waiver for "life-saving humanitarian assistance," according to a White House press statement published Jan. 29.

U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on his inauguration day suspending foreign aid programs for 90 days so they can be reviewed to ensure they align with "American interests" and "American values."

In the waiver, Rubio issues an exemption to the pause for work he defined as "core life-saving medicine, medical services, food, shelter, and subsistence assistance, as well as supplies and reasonable administrative costs as necessary to deliver such assistance."

Programs and services not covered by the waiver include "abortions, family planning conferences… transgender surgeries, or other non-life-saving assistance."

Rubio directed organizations providing the exempt assistance to continue their work.

"Implementers of existing life-saving humanitarian assistance programs should continue or resume work if they have stopped," the waiver read.

The Washington Post (WP) first reported on the waiver on Jan. 28, citing memos sent to aid organizations. WP reported that many programs funded by the U.S.'s roughly $60 billion foreign aid budget were left confused as to whether or not they qualified for the waiver.

In Ukraine, the organizations affected by the Trump aid freeze provide a huge range of humanitarian services, including counseling, organizing cultural events, and providing basic services, often to some of the most vulnerable segments of society.

Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelensky ordered a report on U.S.-funded projects in Ukraine affected the freeze on foreign assistance.

"I instructed government officials to provide a report on those American support programmes that are currently suspended," Zelensky said.

"We can provide part of this funding through our state finances, and we will discuss some of them with Europeans and Americans," he added, saying that programs concerning Ukrainian children, veterans, and protecting infrastructure would be prioritized.

Trump’s stance on Ukraine, Russia — what we know from his first week in office
For those with a vested interest in Ukraine, U.S. President Donald Trump’s first week in office was a bit of a rollercoaster. His inauguration speech on Jan. 21 made no explicit mention of Ukraine or Russia’s full-scale invasion, prompting some to question if either was anywhere near a priority

News Feed

8:06 AM  (Updated: )

Zelensky visits South Africa but cuts trip short after mass Russian strike.

"We count on South Africa’s meaningful participation in the International Coalition for the return of thousands of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia. We will also certainly strengthen our cultural and educational ties," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
5:30 AM

Trump says he may meet Putin 'shortly' after May Middle East visit.

Despite ongoing ceasefire negotiations, Trump and Putin have yet to have direct contact, communicating only through their officials. Trump's last in-person encounter with his Russian counterpart was during the 2018 Helsinki Summit during the U.S. president's first term.
8:08 PM

Ukrainians react to US proposal of recognizing Crimea as Russian.

The U.S. media outlet Axios reported on April 23 that the U.S. President Donald Trump administration's final proposal for ending the Russia-Ukraine war included the U.S. de jure recognizing Russia's annexation of Crimea and de facto recognizing its control of other occupied Ukrainian territories. We asked Kyiv residents for their reactions to the U.S. proposal.
7:21 PM  (Updated: )

Trump says 'nobody is asking' Ukraine to recognize Crimea as Russian.

"Nobody is asking (President Volodymyr) Zelensky to recognize Crimea as Russian Territory, but if he wants Crimea, why didn’t they fight for it eleven years ago when it was handed over to Russia without a shot being fired?" U.S. President Donald Trump wrote.
MORE NEWS

Editors' Picks

Enter your email to subscribe
Please, enter correct email address
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required

Subscribe

* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Explaining Ukraine with Kate Tsurkan
* indicates required
Successfuly subscribed
Thank you for signing up for this newsletter. We’ve sent you a confirmation email.