Suspension of US aid to other countries for 90 days does not apply to Ukraine, says top security official
The executive order signed by US President Trump suspending international aid for 90 days does not apply to military aid to Ukraine, reported the Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, headed by Andriy Kovalenko, Defence Express writes.
US President Donald Trump earlier decided to suspend all American foreign aid for 90 days.
The Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council says that Trump's decree actually concerns international assistance within the framework of "development programs" related to the activities of UN agencies, peacekeeping initiatives, refugee support programs, etc.
Ukraine receives assistance from the United States under the Presidential Drawdown (PDA), Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), and Foreign Military Financing (FMF) programs.
"The US President's decree does not apply to these programs," the CCD stated.
Defence Express also notes that this does not apply to all types of assistance.
The executive order, titled "Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid," states that all government departments and agencies responsible for U.S. development assistance programs must suspend new commitments and payments for 90 days.
The US development assistance programs are a separate type of assistance that supports the economic, social, and political development of states and societies. In American government terminology, assistance to Ukraine with weapons was referred to as security assistance.
"That is, formally, Trump's decree does not affect military aid to Ukraine. But it may well affect any other types of aid. In particular, the one that Ukraine receives through USAID, including for the restoration of damaged infrastructure," Defence Express notes.
During the election race, Trump said that he would stop financial aid to Ukraine, calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy "the greatest salesman in history."
Already after his re-election, he suggested that under his presidency, Ukraine would likely not receive the same amount of aid as it did from the previous administration.