Dollar blow: How Trump froze US support for Ukraine and other nations.

Shortly after taking the oath, 78-year-old Donald Trump revoked 78 directives from Joe Biden and signed nearly 200 of his own orders and decrees. In just ten days of his term, the new-old occupant of the Oval Office signed 38 decrees and, as calculated by Axios, became the leader among all American presidents in modern U.S. history. Joe Biden and Harry Truman, the 46th and 33rd heads of the White House, occupy the second and third places in the ranking, having issued over 40 decrees in their first hundred days of governance.

Returning to Trump, it is noteworthy that with his return to the White House, official Washington suspended funding for humanitarian programs worldwide for 90 days. During this time, the administration of the American leader must determine which of the supported projects inside and outside the country align with Donald Trump's "America First" ideas. As a result, programs related to healthcare and food, which literally affect the lives of millions, are under threat.

This refers to Trump's decision to prohibit the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which funds numerous humanitarian projects, from providing assistance to more than 100 countries for 90 days. During this period, the U.S. administration, as mentioned above, must analyze all existing programs and resume funding only for those that align with Mr. Trump's foreign policy vision. Additionally, the Republican ordered a freeze on all federal grants and other forms of government assistance within the U.S. to analyze which projects and programs funded by taxpayers contradict his agenda. "Over the past four years, the Biden administration has spent money like drunken sailors, which has been one of the reasons for the inflation crisis in the country," stated White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt, emphasizing that the funding review will ensure that these expenditures "serve the interests of the American people."

Meanwhile, Trump's "revision" step initially raised doubts about its legality, as the funds were allocated according to previously signed agreements, meaning that suspending funding could potentially lead to lawsuits.

And so it happened. Specifically, on January 28, federal judge Lauren Alihan in Washington temporarily blocked the U.S. president's order to freeze all federal grants and other forms of government aid—literally moments before it was set to take effect. The American justice official justified her decision by stating that the White House's move creates a "risk of irreparable harm," as the United States government does not even "know the full scope of the programs that will be frozen." However, Ms. Alihan's verdict only pertains to the funding bans within the country. This concerns money intended for universities, small business loans, environmental protection projects, etc. It is important to emphasize that the blocking of Trump's controversial order is only in effect until February 3—the day of the next court hearing on this matter. Until that time, the White House is not permitted to suspend payments under government assistance programs previously approved by Congress.

Thus, various programs within the U.S. are currently "unfrozen." However, regarding Trump's decision to suspend foreign humanitarian aid, the moral and ethical aspect became immediately relevant and justified. Why? Because the United States is the largest global humanitarian donor. According to the UN, in 2024, the U.S. accounted for over 42% of the funds allocated for various humanitarian projects in more than a hundred countries. For comparison, the combined share of Germany, the European Union, and the United Kingdom, which ranked second, third, and fourth in this ranking, was only 21% of the total volume of such donations. It is also surprising that before such a massive freeze on programs, Trump did not even take the time to conduct at least a quick analysis of the funded initiatives, cutting them all off in bulk, with the exception of programs related to Egypt and Israel. A significant portion of American funds was directed towards medical purposes (for example, supporting 21 million people living with HIV, vaccinating children and adults, surgeries, and so on), food supplies (for instance, combating hunger in Afghanistan or Sudan), educational and other programs.

Faced with severe criticism, Trump, albeit through the efforts of others, took a step back. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered to temporarily continue funding humanitarian programs that "save lives." An exception was made for allocating funds for food and medicine supplies, providing medical services, housing assistance, and supporting the cost of living. According to Mr. Rubio, such humanitarian aid programs can continue their operations. The new "Blinken" separately emphasized that the exception does not extend to funding for abortions, family planning conferences, gender programs, or "other assistance not related to saving lives."

The New York Times reports that Trump's order to cease aid applies to most military and defense support programs, including assistance to Ukraine, Taiwan, and Jordan. Meanwhile, the Washington Post states: "An aide to one of the congressmen familiar with the matter said that President Trump's order appears to suspend U.S. military funding to Ukraine as well as direct bilateral economic assistance." However, the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine assures that the freeze does not affect military supplies. "American military assistance to Ukraine continues through military aid packages that were approved earlier," said Andrei Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council. Axios also reports that deliveries approved under Biden are ongoing, specifying that just this week, Kyiv received approximately 90 interceptor missiles for Patriot systems that were stored in Israel.

Meanwhile, numerous Ukrainian non-profit organizations critically dependent on U.S. grant assistance are sounding the alarm over the suspension of funding under USAID. The stakes are extremely high. According to Forbes, USAID provided Ukraine with nearly $5.5 billion in 2024. Of this, $4.2 billion was allocated for government programs ($3.9 billion directly to the state budget). At the same time, humanitarian aid amounted to $640 million, and support for the domestic energy system was $250 million.

President Zelensky has already stated that the state will fund those projects and non-governmental organizations that it considers "critically important." This direction will be managed by Deputy Head of the Office of the President Alexey Kuleba. "We can provide part of such funding through our state finances, and part will be discussed with Europeans and Americans. This concerns many areas—from communications and digitalization to supporting veterans, schools, hospitals, and reconstruction. Of course, the details of the programs were not a state matter, but officials will present everything to me, and we will definitely support priority issues," emphasized the current head of Bankova.

In turn, the Verkhovna Rada has already begun consultations with the European Union regarding the possible replacement of American assistance for USAID grant programs. "Due to the pause that has arisen, further normalization of processes may take place in three, four, five, or even six months. Thus, while the audit continues, Ukraine must take urgent measures to avoid destabilizing key processes in the state," states a special statement from the parliamentary committee on information policy.

"It's pointless to prove that $16 billion did not go to 'LGBT propaganda.' These funds built schools, developed energy, fought corruption, which we didn't want ourselves because it was easier for us. They also supported the veterans' movement and displaced persons, rehabilitation, adaptation, and reintegration. And a million other examples, starting from community reform and local self-governance. Through USAID, there was reimbursement for salaries of Ukrainian teachers, healthcare workers, and public officials. Everything to support the foundation of state governance. Billions of humanitarian support to vulnerable populations," comments journalist and military serviceman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Pyotr Shuklinov, on the situation.

"Also, USAID has been a bad grant-eater that created opportunities for veterans, where no one will ever say 'we didn't send you there.' We can do without them. What are they for? We'll manage somehow, right?! How much money do you donate to a veteran-supporting organization? None? And to psychological support lines? None? The world is cruel. But worse than cruelty is indifference. We want victory so much that we are ready to accept the fall of civil and state sectors as a triumph. Hooray, hooray... Amid the cries of idiots, we remain in darkness," concludes Shuklinov.