State Department officially informs Congress of plans to dissolve USAID, CNN reports
The agency, which has been central to U.S. foreign aid efforts, will be disbanded by July 1.
USAID Ukraine
US court blocks cuts to USAID, says Musk's DOGE likely violated Constitution
The court order requires the Trump administration to restore email and computer access to all USAID employees, including those on administrative leave. However, it does not reinstate the agency in full or reverse staff firings.
Trump's aid cuts threaten supply of HIV treatments to Ukraine, 7 more countries, WHO warns
World Health Organization warned that Kenya, Haiti, Lesotho, Burkina Faso, Mali, Nigeria, South Sudan, and Ukraine could run out of critical antiretroviral drugs in the coming months.
US officially closes 83% of USAID programs
The U.S. has officially canceled 83% of U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) programs, with the roughly 1,000 remaining contracts to be administered by the State Department, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on March 10.
Trump’s aid cuts could trap Eastern Europe in a disinformation bubble
Georgia is in a grim state. Once vibrant, welcoming, and hopeful, it has become a country where peaceful protesters are beaten and journalists are branded as traitors. Over the past year, the ruling Georgian Dream party has stifled civil society and media with its foreign agent law, extended its reign
US Supreme Court rules judge can force Trump administration to un-freeze remaining foreign aid funding
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on March 5 the Trump administration must adhere to a lower court ruling that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) restart payments worth nearly $2 billion for the remaining USAID projects.
US terminates support for Ukraine's energy grid restoration, NBC reports
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) was instructed by the State Department to terminate initiatives set to help restore Ukraine's energy grid, NBC News reported citing two USAID officials working on the matter.
Trump admin says it's cutting 90% of USAID foreign aid contracts
The Trump administration said on Feb. 26 that it is terminating over 90% of the U.S. Agency for International Development's (USAID) foreign aid contracts, cutting $60 billion in foreign assistance, the U.S. media reported.
State Department officials want to unfreeze US aid to Ukraine, Politico reports
These exemptions would extend beyond the U.S. waiver for "life-saving" programs and would allow Ukraine to receive funding for demining, narcotics control, and civil society projects.
US judge orders temporary lift Trump administration's freeze on foreign aid
Judge Amir Ali issued the order in response to a lawsuit filed by the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition and the Global Health Council.
EU cannot replace USAID funding but sees opportunity to boost visibility, Kallas says
"We agreed that we are not automatically filling the void with European money because, first, we don't have those funds," Kallas said.
With cuts looming, it's time to reform Ukraine’s humanitarian aid system
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the international community has sent nearly $11 billion in humanitarian aid, with billions more from individuals, charities, and Ukrainians. The UN recently announced a new $3.3 billion appeal for 2025. Yet, despite this support, key players in humanitarian aid — state donors,
EU to review its foreign aid programs amid US decision to reform USAID
The European Commission will update the provision of foreign aid and make it more "targeted for partners," Bloomberg reported, citing the draft document.
US foreign aid freeze threatens Russian war crimes investigations in Ukraine, Reuters reports
Funding for at least five of these projects has already been frozen, five sources told Reuters, citing payment disruptions. Those affected were working on issues ranging from preserving evidence from the battlefield to anti-corruption initiatives and reforming Ukraine's prosecution system.
As US cuts Ukraine funding, EU's lending arm steps in with nearly 1 billion euros in investments
The European Union's lending arm, the European Investment Bank (EIB), has signed agreements to mobilize close to 1 billion euros ($1.03 billion) in investments into Ukraine’s public and private sectors as the U.S. moves to cut funding to development projects in the country. U.S. President Donald
US federal judge temporarily blocks Trump's efforts to suspend USAID staff
The "very limited" restraining order covers the the pending employee suspensions as well as "the accelerated removal of people from their countries," Judge Carl Nichols said following a hearing in the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.
Trump demands USAID shutdown as mass suspensions, layoffs begin
Writing on Truth Social on Feb. 7, U.S. President Donald Trump accused the agency of widespread corruption and fraud, declaring, "CLOSE IT DOWN!"
Ukraine secures preliminary deals to replace USAID funding for critical projects, official says
Urgent funding has already been identified for recovery efforts, energy resilience, and cyber defense projects, Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister Olha Stefanishyna said.
Trump to lay off nearly all USAID staff worldwide, NYT reports
The cuts will reduce the agency from 10,000 staff around the world to just 290, three sources with knowledge of the layoffs said.
Kyiv Independent raises over $66,200 to support Ukrainian newsrooms hit by US aid freeze
A GoFundMe campaign launched on Jan. 30 quickly surpassed its initial goal of 40,000 pounds ($50,000) within days. Now closed, the campaign’s funds are being distributed to the impacted media outlets.
'Russian media lies' — Ben Stiller denies claims about USAID funding his Ukraine trip, reposted by Musk
Elon Musk reposted a fabricated story on X suggesting that USAID financed Western celebrities' visits to Ukraine.
US 'not going to eliminate foreign aid,' Rubio says amid USAID shutdown push
"I continue to support foreign aid. But foreign aid is not charity. It exists for the purpose of advancing the national interest of the United States," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.
US aid freeze halts support for prosecuting Russian war crimes, Ukraine's energy sector, lawmaker says
The cuts include suspending U.S. assistance in war crimes investigations and halting support for international experts assisting in the process, Democratic Congressman Eugene Vindman said.
Explainer: Ukraine’s EuroMaidan was not a coup, despite Russian disinfo pushed by Musk
More than a decade after Ukraine’s pro-democracy EuroMaidan Revolution, the false — but persistent — claim that the movement was a Western-backed "coup" refuses to die. Elon Musk on Feb. 2 boosted to his more than 215 million followers a post on X which parroted Russian disinformation, claiming without evidence that
'Illegal maneuver' — Democratic lawmakers oppose merging USAID under State Department
Members of Congress gathered outside USAID headquarters in Washington, condemning what they called an "illegal maneuver" by Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who U.S. President Donald Trump has tasked with reducing the size of the federal government.
Rubio takes control of USAID amid Musk's threats to shut down agency
Trump has named Rubio acting USAID administrator "as an interim step toward gaining control and better understanding over the agency's activity," the state department said in a press release.
'It's beyond repair' — Musk aims to shut down USAID, claims Trump's backing
"With regards to the USAID stuff, I went over it with (the president) in detail, and he agreed that we should shut it down," Elon Musk said during a conversation on X Spaces.
Trump administration removes more USAID staff as agency faces uncertain future, CNN reports
The removals are part of a broader effort by Trump’s team to strip USAID of its independence. Nearly 100 senior career staff members have been placed on leave as discussions continue about shifting the agency under State Department control.
US foreign aid transformed Ukraine. Its suspension threatens decades of work
Editor’s Note: The Kyiv Independent isn’t a recipient of U.S. foreign aid, and its funding wasn’t affected by the aid freeze. With the stroke of a pen, U.S. President Donald Trump last week put a freeze on projects that have helped Ukraine become freer and
Kyiv Independent launches fundraiser to support Ukraine's front-line media after US aid freeze
"We couldn’t just stand by and watch our colleagues and partners lose their teams and suspend their operations while independent journalism remains one of the most crucial jobs in Ukraine today, especially near the front lines," said Daryna Shevchenko, CEO of the Kyiv Independent.
Ukrainian lawmakers seek to temporarily replace USAID with European funding
The pause in U.S. funding could last for three to six months, according to the Ukrainian parliament's humanitarian and information policy committee.
Rubio issues humanitarian waiver for Trump's foreign aid freeze
Those programs not covered by the waiver include "abortions, family planning conferences… transgender surgeries, or other non-life saving assistance."
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