War

One thousand sixty-eighth day. American diplomats asked to urgently exclude programs related to Ukraine from the 90-day freeze

Since February 24, 2022, Meduza has been broadcasting live about the Russian-Ukrainian war. In our daily materials, we dwell in detail on several stories that are affecting the course of the war right now. We also publish your letters because we are sure that we need to continue talking about the war. Please share your opinion about Russians who voluntarily enter into contracts with the Ministry of Defense, and if you know such people, tell us about them and their motives. Find the feedback form at the end of this article. You can read the previous day's review here .

World

American diplomats have asked US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to urgently exclude programs related to Ukraine from the 90-day freeze on foreign aid, the Financial Times writes , citing sources. According to the newspaper, senior diplomats from the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs of the US State Department asked Rubio to exclude the US Agency for International Development (USAID) from the order, which came into force immediately after its adoption on Friday, January 24.

“We do not know at this time whether this request will be approved - in whole or in part - but so far there are positive signals coming from Washington,” the FT said in an email sent to USAID staff in Ukraine.

The day before, Politico and Reuters reported that Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued an order suspending funding for most US foreign aid programs for 90 days. USAID contracting and grants officers were directed to “immediately issue stop work orders” until the review was completed. It is expected to take up to 85 days and leave hundreds of contracts, worth more than $70 billion in 2022, in limbo, the FT writes.

After Rubio's order went into effect, USAID staff in Ukraine began receiving orders to stop all work. Officials and staff of Ukrainian non-governmental organizations warned that support for schools and hospitals, as well as efforts to develop economic and energy infrastructure, would be at risk. Rubio's order includes some exceptions for military funding for Israel and Egypt, as well as foreign emergency food aid. But Ukraine is not mentioned in the exceptions.

At the same time, US military assistance to Kyiv, as a Ukrainian official familiar with this matter told FT, is not subject to the freezing order. This was confirmed by Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, who at a joint press conference with Moldovan President Maia Sandu on January 25 said that he is “focused on military assistance; Thank God it didn’t stop.”

War through the eyes of Meduza readers

Sergey. An acquaintance worked in support of a bank in Moscow. They announced a grave. I received a summons: come and “update your data.” I came to the military registration and enlistment office: “After all, I have to, why not go.” His summons was taken away on the spot, and a new one was issued stating that he was being called up to a commission to enlist in the war. They promised training, coordination, and so on, [that there would be no fighting] on the front line.

Two weeks later he was found alive and unconscious in a trench. Apparently they were storming. It was covered by artillery: out of 30 people, three survived, the rest were minced meat. [A friend of mine] has a concussion, a punctured lung, and a constant ringing in his ear. I myself traveled for several months by train between different cities, looking for somewhere to go for treatment from the Ministry of Defense. Stuck.

While he was being treated, they said that as soon as he was cured, he would go back to this slaughterhouse. They also didn’t want to pay money for injuries and so on. They got someone involved, found lawyers, sued the Ministry of Defense, and won the case. They paid several million for the injury and gave me a veteran’s certificate. An important person is walking. When asked if he would repeat it if there was a chance to return, he says: “Yes, I would repeat it.” Became a prisoner.

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