U.S. aid is on hold: Zelensky made a statement.

 

President Volodymyr Zelensky received a report on programs previously funded by the U.S. that have been suspended. The head of state reported this during a video address on Wednesday, January 29.   According to him, Ukraine will seek internal resources and engage with European partners regarding funding.   "Today, there was already an initial report from officials and the Office team - Oleksii Kuleba and Viktor Nikita - regarding critically important programs that are currently on hold, which were previously funded through American support. I have already instructed to utilize internal resources for some key initiatives and also to engage with the Europeans," the president stated.   Zelensky also tasked his team to continue auditing the suspended U.S. assistance programs. "It is on humanitarian issues, safety, and social matters that we should have more of our and European activity. So that now, while new American policies are being developed, we can support the people," the head of state noted.   According to the president, discussions also covered programs related to distributed generation and veteran projects: veteran hubs, support lines, and assistance in establishing businesses for veterans.   Zelensky added that there were also programs concerning border crossing points: "These are what has been built in collaboration with our partners. New modern crossing points to enhance economic activity and increase the transparency of customs operations. In particular, these are projects in ports."   Ukraine will seek greater internal resources for this, the president emphasized.   He also mentioned that there are specific issues related to the Ministry of Health and cybersecurity. "We are addressing all of this," Zelensky underscored.   Recall that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued an order suspending funding for most foreign assistance programs, including support for Ukraine, for 90 days. The U.S. Agency for International Development USAID in Ukraine received an order to suspend all projects and expenditures related to them.