Donald Trump’s USAID cuts damaging humanitarian operations on Ukraine’s front line

Published

5 months ago

March 14, 2025

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Oleksiy Kliuiev has had to get used to working under fire. He leads a group of volunteers helping civilians caught in the fighting on Ukraine’s frontline.

Last September, he and his team were nearly hit in a drone strike as they rushed to help residents under bombardment in the Sumy region, close to Ukraine’s northeastern border with Russia.

“By the time we volunteers arrived, there had already been two hits on the hospital by Shahed drones,” Mr Kliuiev, who filmed the strike, tells Sky News.

With the air-raid warning still sounding, he sought shelter in a neighbouring building.

“When we came out, we saw a horrible picture. There were bodies everywhere – wounded or killed. Cars were on fire. Everything was burning.”

A total of 11 people were killed in the attack.

Mr Kliuiev has been working on the frontline of Ukraine’s war since 2022.

In recent days, this border region has become the focal point of Russia’s war effort, as the Kremlin tries to take control and cut off supplies to the Ukrainian military.

Under Russian assault, support from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) had been more essential than ever.

“Sumy is under shelling all the time. It’s under attack from drones, from ballistic missiles, from supersonic missiles,” Mr Kliuiev says.

“It is probably the hardest moment since 2022, because even back in 2022, when we had convoys of occupiers marching through our city, the scale of destruction was not what we are seeing now.”

Mr Kliuiev heads up the Sumy branch of Dobrobat, a volunteer organisation that helps civilians and does urgent reconstruction in areas hit by Russian shelling.

He and his team are aware of the risks. “Ours is a rescue mission,” he says. “So, every time we go to such scenes, we go to help people.”

Last year, Dobrobat received 2 million Ukrainian hryvnia, worth around £38,000, from USAID towards building repair projects. It was supposed to be the first in a series of ongoing payments.

Instead, USAID’s funding was frozen by US President Donald Trump on his first day in office.

Mr Kliuiev sent Sky News a video he took this week of apartment blocks in Sumy, with boarded-up windows that his group had planned to replace using USAID funding.

On Monday, Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, said in a statement on X that 83% of contracts funded by USAID would be cancelled.

In a war where equipment like drones and tanks are talked about most, unassuming items are also essential – ladders, construction foam and tools for repairing the damage.

The aid freeze has had an immediate impact on Dobrobat’s work.

“We haven’t been able to install window units as quickly. Residents have been living through a very harsh winter with temperatures of 15C below freezing,” Mr Kliuiev says.

USAID provided billions worldwide

USAID gave $32bn in aid to 165 countries in 2024. Ukraine was by far the top recipient country, receiving $5.4bn.

Mr Kliuiev is one of thousands of Ukrainians working on projects funded by USAID near the frontlines, many of whom have spoken to Sky News.

“Unfortunately, due to the suspension of USAID funding, more than half of our projects were stopped,” says Yuriy Antoshchuk, co-founder of Unity Foundation, a group working to rebuild communities in Kherson.

“The population’s faith in the fact that there is a reliable partner who is not only ready to help resist Russian aggression, but also will support in the restoration and help rebuild a democratic society, is fading every day.”

The impact of the cuts on the ground is immense but programme organisers have been working in a state of confusion too.

They are having to untangle a complicated web of projects affecting many different areas of work in Ukraine, from subsidising school employee salaries to assisting internally displaced people.

“I am in the process of terminating nearly 100 staff. People who have worked tirelessly to serve the frontlines of Russia’s war against Ukraine,” a senior American aid worker in Ukraine, whose work was funded by USAID, tells Sky News.

“I never thought I would see the day when the American government would be both reckless and dishonest at this magnitude.

“The shame I feel as an American is completely overwhelming.”

Job losses

According to an analysis by Molloy Consultants, a global health consultancy tracking aid job losses, over 14,000 Americans have been made redundant so far. They expect that number to rise to 52,000.

Almost 60,000 non-Americans have also lost their jobs, with the figure expected to rise to more than 100,000.

Most USAID funding is managed through a series of US-based intermediary companies. Since 2005, a quarter has gone via one firm, Chemonics.

It is now one of the plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the US government, seeking payment for outstanding work that has already been done. In an initial court filing, the company said it was owed $110.3m in outstanding invoices for work performed in 2024.

A judge had ordered the invoices to be paid by 10 March, but a source familiar with USAID’s programmes told Sky News only a small fraction of this had been given to Chemonics before the deadline – about $6m.

Sky News asked the State Department when it planned to pay, but it declined to comment on the ongoing legal dispute.

Without funding from USAID, Chemonics is unable to pay local contractors and staff. The company has taken drastic cost-cutting measures, including laying off many of their staff both in the US and abroad, the source familiar with USAID’s programmes told Sky News.

Chemonics received the most USAID funding for Ukraine contracts.

Ropack, an equipment company in Odessa, is one of the vendors owed money.

“Since 2022, despite fear, panic, and uncertainty, we have kept working because we knew if we stopped, factories that cannot afford to stop would grind to a halt,” said Oksana Chumachenko, the company’s director, in a letter to Sky News.

“We keep going even when Shahed drones rain down at night, and in the morning – if we are lucky and another substation has not been bombed – we drink our coffee, thank God we are still alive, and get back to work.

“But sometimes, we hit a dead end.” Now, with USAID money coming to a halt, “today is one of those days,” she says.

“We fully acknowledge that this is a sovereign decision by the US administration, and we do not question it. But we ask – we plead – that commitments already made under existing contracts be fulfilled.”

The frustration was also palpable in an interview Sky News conducted with a senior American aid worker in Ukraine, who spoke under the condition of anonymity.

“You do not stop paying your bills because you don’t like what the person before you approved,” they said.

“I have vendors who have not been paid for generators they delivered and installed so frontline communities in Ukraine have access to water, light, and heat.

“These suppliers are going to need to go back to these communities and remove this lifesaving equipment – take it back – because a few decision makers in [Washington] DC did not spend the time or energy to understand the whole picture.”

Andrew Mitchell, a former foreign office minister, says the impact of the USAID cuts is wide-ranging.

“If you want to tackle things like migration, climate change, pandemics, you need to do it on an international basis,” he says.

“If you have a situation like you have today in Ukraine, the scale of human needs, the scale of humanitarian resource and help that is required is immense,” he adds.

“I’m afraid the result of these cuts will be going backwards and not forwards in the way that we had hoped.”

Back in Sumy, USAID cuts have delivered a significant hit to Mr Kliuiev’s operations. But he says this is not the end for Dobrobat.

“We will continue our work because we’ve been around since 2022. But the support from USAID was a step forward for us that now won’t happen.”

The Data and Forensics team is a multi-skilled unit dedicated to providing transparent journalism from Sky News. We gather, analyse and visualise data to tell data-driven stories. We combine traditional reporting skills with advanced analysis of satellite images, social media and other open-source information. Through multimedia storytelling, we aim to better explain the world while also showing how our journalism is done.

World

Trump-Putin summit: No deal reached to end war in Ukraine

Published

2 hours ago

August 16, 2025

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Trump-Putin summit: No deal reached to end war in Ukraine

No deal has been reached to end the war in Ukraine – but Donald Trump has said there are “many points” he and Vladimir Putin agreed on during their highly anticipated summit.

Following the meeting in Alaska, which lasted more than two-and-a-half hours, the two leaders gave a short media conference giving little detail about what had been discussed, and without taking questions.

Mr Trump described the meeting as “very productive” and said there were “many points that we agreed on… I would say a couple of big ones”.

Trump-Putin summit – latest updates

But there are a few left, he added. “Some are not that significant. One is probably the most significant, but we have a very good chance of getting there…

“We haven’t quite got there, we’ve made some headway. There’s no deal until there’s a deal.”

Mr Putin described the negotiations as “thorough and constructive” and said Russia was “seriously interested in putting an end” to the war in Ukraine. He also warned Europe not to “torpedo nascent progress”.

After much build-up to the summit – with the US president threatening “severe” consequences for Russia should it not go well – it was ultimately not clear whether the talks had produced meaningful steps towards a ceasefire in what has been the deadliest conflict in Europe in 80 years.

Mr Trump said he intended to speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other European leaders, who were excluded from the discussions, to brief them.

Despite not reaching any major breakthrough, the US leader ended his remarks with a thank you, and said he would probably see Mr Putin again “very soon”.

When the Russian president suggested that “next time” would be Moscow, he responded by saying he might face criticism, but “I could see it possibly happening”.

The red carpet treatment

The news conference came after a grand arrival at the Elmendorf-Richardson military base in Anchorage, where the US president stepped down from Air Force One and later greeted his Russian counterpart with a handshake and smiles on a red carpet.

Mr Putin even travelled alongside Mr Trump in the presidential limousine, nicknamed “The Beast”.

It was the kind of reception typically reserved for close US allies, belying the bloodshed and the suffering in the war.

Before the talks, the two presidents ignored frantically-shouted questions from journalists – and Mr Putin appeared to frown when asked by one reporter if he would stop “killing civilians” in Ukraine, putting his hand to his ear as though to indicate he could not hear.

Our US correspondent Martha Kelner, on the ground in Alaska, said he was shouting “let’s go” – apparently in reference to getting the reporters out of the room.

A ’10/10′ meeting

During his first day back in the White House in January, Mr Trump had pledged confidently to bring about an end to the war in Ukraine.

But seven months later, after infamously berating Mr Zelenskyy during a meeting at the Oval Office in February, and then stanching the flow of some US military assistance to Kyiv, he still does not appear to have brought a pause to the conflict.

In an interview with Fox News before leaving Alaska, Mr Trump described the meeting with Mr Putin as “warm” and gave it a “10/10”, but declined to give details about what they discussed.

He also insisted that the onus going forward could be on Mr Zelenskyy “to get it done”, but said there would also be some involvement from European nations.

What happens next?

Mr Trump is expected to speak to Mr Zelenskyy, Sir Keir Starmer and European leaders about the talks.

A meeting of ambassadors from European countries has been scheduled for 8.30am UK time, EU presidency sources have told Sky News.

European heads of state and Mr Trump are also likely to have a virtual meeting later in the day.

Despite the US president’s efforts to bring about a ceasefire, Russian attacks on Ukraine have only intensified in the past few months.

On 9 July, Russia carried out its largest aerial attack on Ukraine since the start of the war, launching more than 740 drones and missiles.

Furthermore, Mr Zelenskyy has said Russia is preparing for new offensives.

Ahead of the summit, one of the key commanders of Ukraine’s drone forces told Sky News in a rare interview that there would be no let-up in its own long-range drone attacks on Russia until Moscow agrees to peace.

World

What we expected from the Trump-Putin summit – and what actually happened

Published

2 hours ago

August 16, 2025

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What we expected from the Trump-Putin summit - and what actually happened

A warm handshake, big smiles, and a red carpet – this was the welcome for Vladimir Putin as he touched down on US soil for critical negotiations on the war in Ukraine.

There had been much build-up to the summit in Anchorage, Alaska, not least from Donald Trump himself – with the US president having threatened “severe” consequences for Russia should it not go well.

But more than two-and-a-half hours of talks resulted in just a brief news conference with little detail given away – and ultimately, no talk of a ceasefire and no deal on Ukraine reached yet.

Here is what was expected from the meeting – based on information from the White House, Mr Trump and the Kremlin beforehand – and what happened on the night.

One-on-one turned into three-on-three

It was thought this would be a one-on-one meeting between Mr Trump and Mr Putin.

Instead, the US president was joined by US secretary of state Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff, while the Russian leader was supported by his foreign affairs advisor Yuri Ushakov and Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov.

The change seemed to indicate the White House was perhaps taking a more guarded approach than during a 2018 meeting in Helsinki, where Mr Trump and Mr Putin met privately with interpreters. The US leader then shocked the world by siding with the Russian leader over US intelligence officials on whether Russia meddled in the 2016 presidential campaign.

Rolling out the red carpet

Mr Putin was given the kind of reception typically reserved for close US allies, belying the bloodshed and the suffering in the war he started.

The two men greeted each other with a handshake and a smiling Mr Trump even applauded the Russian president as he approached him on the red carpet.

Our international affairs editor Dominic Waghorn, in Kyiv, gauged the Ukrainian reaction to the arrival – and said people were furious at the welcome extended by the Trump team.

Images of US soldiers on their knees, unfurling the red carpet at the steps of the Russian leader’s plane, went viral, he said, with social media “lit up with fury, anger, and disgust”.

He added: “There are different ways of welcoming a world leader to this type of event, and Trump has gone all out to give a huge welcome to Putin, which is sticking in the craw of Ukrainians.”

Any questions?

Plenty. But no one was really given a chance to ask.

Ahead of the talks, cameras were allowed inside for just a minute – and while this was enough time for a few journalists to shout some questions, these were ignored by the two leaders.

“President Putin, will you stop killing civilians?” one shouted. In response, Mr Putin put his hand up to his ear as if he could not hear.

In their brief media conference after the talks, Mr Putin spoke for almost nine minutes, while Trump took just three-and-a-half to say what he wanted to say.

The two men then did not stay to answer questions from reporters.

Before the event, the Kremlin said it could last between six and seven hours, but the whole visit lasted about four-and-a-half hours.

‘Severe consequences’

Ever since his inauguration in January, Mr Trump had been threatening serious consequences for Russia should a deal on Ukraine not be reached soon. Just two days after the ceremony, he took to social media to declare there could be “high levels of taxes, tariffs and sanctions” and called for an end to the “ridiculous” war.

In February, he held what he described as a “productive” call with the Russian leader, and about two weeks later he infamously berated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a visit to the Oval Office – this one taking place in front of the world’s media.

In July, he started to set deadlines for an end to the war – first giving Mr Putin 50 days and later reducing this to “10 or 12 days”, before announcing the summit last week.

Yesterday, Mr Trump insisted his Russian counterpart was “not going to mess around with me”.

However, while both men insisted the talks were “productive”, it is not clear what agreements have been reached, and whether Ukraine is any closer to finding peace. The word ceasefire was not mentioned by either leader. Instead, they praised each other, with Mr Trump describing Mr Putin’s remarks as “very profound” – and there was no mention of sanctions.

A meeting with Mr Zelenskyy?

It was expected that after the talks, Mr Trump could set the table for the next meeting with the Ukrainian president.

While he said he would call Mr Zelenskyy, he made no public commitment to a meeting during the media conference.

In an interview with Fox News after the summit, he said Russia and Ukraine would set a date to discuss next steps and a potential ceasefire deal, but did not provide further details on specifics or timings.

“They’re going to set up a meeting now, between President Zelenskyy and President Putin and myself, I guess,” Mr Trump said. He also said that European nations “have to get involved a little bit” but it is “really up to President Zelenskyy to get it done”.

Putin brought his own limo – but travelled in The Beast instead

After shaking hands on the red carpet, the two leaders made their way towards their waiting vehicles.

But despite Mr Putin arriving with his “Aurus” limousine, and it being spotted on the tarmac near the planes, he got into the American presidential limousine, known as “The Beast”, to travel to the meeting location.

The Russian president was seen with a wide smile on his face, while Mr Trump appeared to be waving to the crowds.

World

In pictures: Trump-Putin summit ends without a deal but with plenty of standout moments

Published

2 hours ago

August 16, 2025

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In pictures: Trump-Putin summit ends without a deal but with plenty of standout moments

The presidents of the United States and Russia wrapped up critical talks in Alaska without reaching a deal on ending the war in Ukraine.

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin were on the ground in Anchorage, Alaska, for only about six hours, but the historic yet inconclusive summit still produced some memorable moments.

Both leaders spoke at a news conference, but neither mentioned a ceasefire – something many hoped Mr Trump could persuade Mr Putin to accept during the discussions.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who didn’t participate in the talks in Alaska, had said that Ukraine was “counting on America”.