{UAH} AFTER TRUMP BLASTS ZELENSKYSTATE DEPARTMENT PULLS PLUG ON POWER GRID

After Donald Trump blasts Zelenskyy at the Oval Office, U.S. pulls plug on Ukraine energy aid as State Department abruptly ends support for critical grid restoration efforts

After Donald Trump blasts Zelenskyy at the Oval Office, U.S. pulls plug on Ukraine energy aid as State Department abruptly ends support for critical grid restoration efforts

The US government has decided to pull back on its critical support for Ukraine’s energy infrastructure this week, as per a report.

The move, includes halting a US Agency for International Development (USAID) initiative that has invested hundreds of millions of dollars into Ukraine’s energy grid recovery, reported NBC News.

The US initiatives abruptly ends

The USAID had been central in helping Ukraine rebuild its power grid, which has been relentlessly targeted by Russian forces throughout the war, reported NBC News. However, according to USAID officials, the program is being shut down, with the agency scaling back its presence in the country.

A USAID official told NBC News that this would "signal to Russia that we don’t care about Ukraine or our past investments,” as quoted in the report. The official also mentioned that the US has "provided vast amount of support to the Ukrainian government to avoid a macro economic crisis,” as per the report.

According to the report, USAID is also dramatically downsizing its presence in Ukraine. Before this decision, USAID had stationed 64 American government employees and contractors in Ukraine to oversee its assistance programs. However, the recent directive from the Trump administration has dramatically reduced this number. Only eight US personnel will remain on the ground, after the remaining staff were placed on administrative leave or ordered to return to the United States unless deemed "critical."

USAID is also terminating another key program aimed at reforming Ukraine's financial sector. One official told NBC News, “We won’t have the eyes on where this money has gone over the last few years,” as quoted in the report.

Trump and Zelenskyy's clash

This decision follows a heated Oval Office meeting on Friday, where US president Donald Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy clashed in front of the cameras, as per reports. The argument, which saw the two leaders talk over each other, involved criticism from vice president JD Vance.

Vance had repeatedly pressed Zelenskyy to show more gratitude for US support and he even accused Zelenskyy of failing to adequately thank the US for its role in Ukraine’s defense against Russia.

What was USAID’s role in Ukraine’s energy recovery?

USAID had invested hundreds of millions of dollars into Ukraine’s energy grid, helping to restore power systems that were under constant attack by Russia.

How much will the US presence in Ukraine be reduced?

USAID had 64 staff members in Ukraine, but this has now been reduced to just 8 people.

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