What consequences does the de facto discontinuation of USAID have for European countries?

Friday, Feb 14, 2025

Der Standard

US funding cuts to USAID threaten aid projects and media in Europe, especially Eastern Europe and Ukraine.

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[This is an automatically generated summary, for reference only]

The potential defacto withdrawal of USAID, driven by President Trump’s administration and advisors like Elon Musk aiming to save around $40 billion in development aid, threatens various projects. While concerns about funding for life-saving AIDS treatment programs in Africa are valid, the impact extends significantly to Europe, particularly Central and Eastern European EU states and Ukraine, where aid projects and parts of the media landscape relied on US assistance. Organizations like the Ukrainian “Veteran Hub” could be affected by the withdrawal of US funds, and some supported programs are already experiencing damage due to payment defaults. The legal outcome regarding the agency’s planned closure remains uncertain, though a ruling late Thursday might temporarily halt its expulsion.

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