Trump Makes 90 Day Foreign Aid Freeze – Ukraine Military Support Supposedly Untouched

In one of his first actions as President, Donald Trump signed a decree suspending US foreign aid programs for 90 days. Published on the official website of the White House, the order mandates a review of all aid programs to ensure they align with the new administration’s foreign policy goals.

“It is the policy of the United States that no further United States foreign assistance shall be disbursed in a manner that is not fully aligned with the foreign policy of the President of the United States,” the decree reads.

During these 90 days, the White House aims to evaluate existing programs and determine their contribution to US interests.

However, the freeze reportedly does not apply to military aid for Ukraine. This clarification came from Oleksandr Kovalenko, director of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation (CPD).

“This is about other things,”” Kovalenko wrote on Telegram.

There has, however, not yet been confirmation from the US that is the case, therefore military aid to Ukraine – funded heavily in response to Russia’s invasion – is likely to remain under scrutiny.

The Associated Press reported that most US foreign aid amounts to less than 1% of the federal budget. Aid to longstanding allies such as Israel amounts to around $3.3 billion a year, Egypt to $1.5 billion, and Jordan to $1.7 billion are unlikely to face immediate cuts because these are long-term packages that date back decades.

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The US State Department reported last week that since 2014, $69.2 billion has been allocated to support Ukraine, including $65.9 billion since Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion.

Additionally, the US has used the Presidential Drawdown Authority 55 times since August 2021, providing $27.688 billion in military assistance from Department of Defense stockpiles.

Just weeks before leaving office, on Dec. 30, 2024, then-President Joe Biden announced a new $2.47 billion aid package. The package included $1.25 billion in weapons from US Army reserves and $1.22 billion to purchase weapons from US manufacturers under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI).

Biden’s announcement followed a Russian missile strike on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure on Christmas night. That same day, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen announced an additional $3.4 billion in non-military aid to Ukraine, earmarked to restore critical infrastructure damaged by Russian attacks.

The funds were part of the 2024 Ukraine Security Appropriations Act, which brought total US budgetary assistance to Ukraine to more than $30 billion since 2022, according to Yellen.

While the Trump administration’s review is underway, European leaders have signaled their willingness to step up. On Jan.9, during a meeting of the Contact Group on Ukraine in Ramstein, Germany, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kai Kallas said Europe is ready to take a larger role if US support decreases.

“There is definitely a will on the part of European countries to continue this work,” Kallas told reporters.

Speaking to journalists, she said that at this stage “we shouldn’t really speculate” about future US support, adding that the US has significant interests in Europe and that it “is not in the interest of America that Russia will be the strongest force in the world.”

The UK has also committed to providing Ukraine with at least £3 billion worth of military aid every year up until 2030-31, with additional support as needed. This is a provision of the 100-year partnership signed between London and Kyiv on Jan. 16, following British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s visit to Kyiv.London is considering setting up military bases in Ukraine were there a peace deal with Russia, according to a new agreement. The agreement says both sides will explore options for building and maintaining defense infrastructure in Ukraine, including military bases, supply depots, and equipment reserves. These facilities could be used to reinforce Ukraine’s defenses if faced with a future serious threat.