Summary
The State Department has ended a major USAID initiative to restore Ukraine’s energy grid, which has suffered continuous Russian attacks.
The move, seen as a signal of declining U.S. support, also includes downsizing USAID’s presence in Ukraine from 64 to just 8 personnel.
Officials warn this could leave Ukraine vulnerable, especially during winter, and reduce oversight of financial aid.
Additionally, a financial sector reform program has been terminated. The decision is part of the broader Trump administration policies shifting away from strong U.S. involvement in Ukraine.
If you systematically ask “who benefits?” for every single political thing Trump has done, the most consistent answer has always been “Russia.” Trump does things that act against Russia’s interests even more rarely than he does things that act against his own interests.