Donald Trump chopped a lifesaving humanitarian initiative aimed at rehabilitating Ukraine’s energy grid which has been damaged by brutal Russian attacks. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) had invested hundreds of millions of dollars to implement the project. Just days before, the president targeted 90% of global foreign aid contracts and kicked out thousands of USAID workers. The public servants were given 15 minutes to clear their desks and leave. Now, he’s forcing USAID to downsize their presence in the war-torn country and end the longstanding restoration project. For the past three years of war, Russia has launched frequent attacks on the country’s energy grid and put millions at risk, especially during the country’s coldest months. USAID interventions aimed to rebuild the struggling country. But along with the termination of key projects, its staff is being drastically reduced. Before Trump, 64 government employees and contractors were serving on the ground in Ukraine. Now, that number stands at just eight. The staff has also been slashed in Washington D.C., where only 29 out of 115 staff members remain in the USAID’s Bureau for Europe and Eurasia. The Daily Beast has reached out to the Trump administration for comment.
