President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky offered the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to help with veterans’ support programs after the suspension of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
The Head of State said this during a conversation with media representatives together with EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.
Renaud-Basso noted that the EBRD is working with the National Bank of Ukraine on a plan to support the reintegration of veterans in terms of their inclusiveness, providing them with loans and developing veterans’ businesses.
“You mentioned veterans. I think this is very important today because after the freezing of some USAID programs for civil society organizations that support these veterans, we can also talk about these programs because it is very difficult for us to support them. This is something new for us,” Zelensky added.
As Ukrinform reported, on January 20, US President Donald Trump signed a decree suspending all foreign aid programs for 90 days pending inspections to determine whether they meet his political goals.
On January 24, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered a “shutdown” of all foreign aid. He made an exception for emergency food aid, which may apply, in particular, to the Gaza Strip and Sudan.
The central office of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) did not open on February 3, and its employees were notified not to come to work. Rubio said that he was committed to acting as USAID administrator.
The secretary of state later said that the suspension of US foreign aid and the winding down of the USAID agency was due to the need to verify payments, end inappropriate programs, and keep the aid “that makes sense.”
Almost all USAID employees worldwide will go on administrative leave starting February 8.
Source: Zelensky asks EBRD to support veterans after USAID program suspension
