U.S. halts foreign aid: Israel and Egypt exempt
The United States has frozen almost all foreign aid. The directive from the new Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, allows for only two exceptions.
Ukraine is uncertain if it will receive the previously approved U.S. aid. The State Department in Washington has ordered a 90-day freeze on most foreign aid, following President Donald Trump's mandate. No new funds will be granted until any new allocation or proposed extension is verified and approved "according to the Republican program", states an internal department document quoted by the AFP news agency.
So far, the United States has been providing the most support to Ukraine. Under Trump's Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden, billions of dollars' worth of weapons were delivered to Kyiv. In the spring of last year, the U.S. Congress approved new funds amounting to roughly CAD 81 billion for Ukraine. Most of the money was disbursed by the end of Biden's term, but not all.
Israel and Egypt on the list of exceptions
The directive from the new U.S. Secretary of State makes exceptions for two specific cases where foreign aid will not be frozen. This includes extraordinary food aid provided by the United States in crises, such as in Sudan and Syria, and military aid to Israel and Egypt, which has been increased following the outbreak of Israel's conflict with the Palestinian organization Hamas.
The United States has long been the largest provider of development aid worldwide, measured in absolute terms. In 2023, it totalled over CAD 85 billion. However, about the gross domestic product, some European countries, particularly the Scandinavian states, allocate significantly more to development aid than the USA.
Pistorius warns against stopping support
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has warned about the dangers of ending support for Ukraine, stating that such a move would almost immediately put the country in a critical situation. Speaking in Peine, Lower Saxony, the SPD politician emphasized the importance of Kyiv maintaining the capability to operate effectively and eventually enter negotiations with Russia from a position of strength.
Currently, Ukraine is on the defensive near Donbas. After intense fighting around the town of Velyka Novosilka, the Ukrainian armed forces face another setback. As reported by the pro-government Ukrainian military channel Deep State, Russian troops have taken the town centre and begun fighting the last pockets of resistance. The Ministry of Defence in Moscow had earlier announced a successful offensive in the region.
Before the war, Velyka Novosilka had about 5,300 inhabitants. It is the southwesternmost section of the front in the Donetsk region, near the border with the Zaporizhzhia region.
