US diplomats have urgently requested that Ukraine-related programs be exempted from a 90-day freeze on foreign aid ordered by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, as concerns grow over the potential impact on vital support for Ukraine.
US diplomats have urgently requested an exemption for Ukraine-related programs from a 90-day freeze on foreign aid and “stop work” orders issued by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to documents reviewed by the Financial Times and sources familiar with the matter.
Citing national security concerns, senior diplomats from the State Department’s Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs have asked Rubio to grant a full waiver for the US Agency for International Development (USAID) programs in Ukraine, excluding them from the sweeping directive that took effect immediately after being issued on Friday.
“We do not know at this time whether this request will be approved — in whole or in part — but there are positive signals so far from Washington,” said an email sent to USAID staff in Ukraine on Saturday, reviewed by the FT.
USAID in Ukraine has temporarily halted issuing "stop work" orders while the exemption request is being considered, according to the email and officials from partner organizations. The agency has also asked staff to evaluate programs and explore ways to align them more closely with the secretary’s directive to enhance US safety, strength, and prosperity.
However, by Saturday evening in Kyiv, some organizations began receiving "stop work" orders. One shared order directed a contractor to immediately cease work under a USAID/Ukraine contract, stating that work would not resume until written notification from the Contracting Officer.
The State Department, USAID, and the US embassy in Kyiv did not respond to requests for comment.
In an internal cable sent to the State Department and USAID on Friday, Rubio instructed the suspension of all new foreign aid disbursements. Contracting and grant officers were directed to immediately issue stop work orders until the secretary completes a review, which could take up to 85 days. This leaves the fate of hundreds of US foreign aid contracts, worth over $70bn in the 2022 fiscal year, uncertain.
Officials and NGO staff in Ukraine, where the war with Russia will enter its fourth year next month, have warned that without a waiver, vital programs such as support for schools, hospitals, and infrastructure development could be at risk.
A program director at an NGO in Kyiv described the funding freeze as a potential “disaster” for their group and Ukraine.
While there are exceptions to Rubio’s order, such as military aid for Israel and Egypt, no exemption for Ukraine is mentioned in the cable. However, a Ukrainian government official confirmed to the FT that US military assistance is not part of the freeze order. "Military aid to Ukraine is intact," the official said.
Speaking at a press conference in Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that American arms continue to flow into Ukraine, with no interruption in military aid.
Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the US has provided $65.9bn in military assistance to Kyiv, according to State Department data.
U.S. special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff have held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Sunday on efforts to en...
Iran has warned it will retaliate against any future U.S. attacks, saying American energy interests and infrastructure across the Gulf could become...
Baku Climate Action Week (BCAW) 2026 has begun in Azerbaijan’s capital, bringing together government representatives, business leaders, inves...
An eruption of Indonesia’s Mount Anak Krakatau has disrupted air travel, school activities and fishing operations, with hundreds of passengers stranded at Jakarta’s main airport on Sunday.
At least five people were killed and five others injured when an Amazon Prime Air cargo plane overran a runway and crashed while landing at Miami International Airport on Sunday, 6 September, local officials said.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday that the United States must recognise that the “rules of the game” in its war against Iran had changed “before it is too late”, a day after Washington struck several Iranian tankers in the Gulf.
Two Greek military pilots were killed on Saturday when an F-4 Phantom fighter jet crashed during an air show at Tanagra air base, north of Athens, officials said.
U.S. special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff have held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Sunday on efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
U.S. special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff have held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Sunday on efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
A battle over the future of the European Union’s diplomatic service is deepening divisions over who controls the bloc’s foreign policy, as EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas pushes back against plans to overhaul her service.
The Strait of Hormuz is moving into a more complicated stage of the U.S.-Iran war. Tehran says it will establish a new restricted maritime zone around the waterway, while Iran and Oman are preparing to formalise a separate shipping route intended to restore at least part of commercial traffic.
The European Union is preparing to boost investment in Greenland, as Brussels moves to deepen political and economic ties with the Arctic territory amid growing strategic competition involving the U.S., Russia and China.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has said a newly commissioned destroyer will become part of the country's nuclear response system, capable of delivering what he described as “annihilating retaliatory strikes”.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment