So hard meet Trump’s cuts in development aid to Ukraine

Have for three years The United States in Ukraine financed a telephone hotlinecould contact the Ukrainians in contact with psychologists, lawyers and doctors. Soldiers, veterans and their families in need were able to get help about this.

Now the line is dead. The reason is Donald Trump. The new US President has the Suspension of almost all the development aid programs in the United States arranged. The hotline, which is operated by the “Veteran Hub” organization, is also affected.

The United States has given Ukraine more than $ 7.6 billion in humanitarian and development aid as well as $ 30 billion in direct household support since the Russian invasion of the Russian. here). The newspaper has spoken to people who are directly affected by the suspension of these help are.

The United States had done “many good things. Things such as securing energy supply for communities that suffered from Russian attacks, humanitarian work, school support, especially the construction of emergency accommodation in schools, ”says a person who does not want to be named by the Washington Post, for fear before possible retaliation for criticism. “My concern is that the current government probably doesn’t take care of this humanitarian side of things so much.”

“Veteran Hub” lost about two thirds of the financing by the elimination of US support. Ivona Kostyna, a co -founder of the group, says that in her view, they would have no choice but to be piercing for money, since so many Ukrainian families are dependent on their support every day.

The group usually operates two facilities. She provides about 700 people per month on one. “It has our ability to work with the veterans and their family members deeply,” said Kostyna. “Without warning, we had to dismiss 30 people in one day.”

Serhii Columbet is one of thousands of Ukrainian veterans who were looking for support in the “Veteran Hub”. Last year he was demolished in eastern Ukraine by a Russian armored grenade. Due to his injury, he found psychological and legal support from the group. For the first time after his injury, he felt understood.

He was stunned by Trump. “We protect our country, and if you sanction someone, you should sanction the attacker – not the people who protect themselves, and certainly not veterans.” Veniamine, also a wounded Ukrainian soldier says: “We simple Ukrainians have a very friendly attitude towards the United States, but for some reason not everyone in the United States feels the same.”

The most important news of the day at a glance:

• Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed his willingness to negotiate peace with Ukraine, but rejected direct discussions with the Ukrainian head of state Wolodymyr Selenskyj. “If he wants to take part in the negotiations, I will park people for the negotiations,” said Putin in an interview with Russian state television with a view to Selenskyj.
• The Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj penetrates stronger security guarantees among US President Donald Trump. “We want him to be on the side of justice on the side of Ukraine,” says Selenskyj in an interview with the US broadcaster Fox News. “Putin is not afraid of Europe.” Ukraine cannot recognize the Russian line -up, but prefers a diplomatic solution, adds Selenskyj. More on this in our news blog.
• Selenskyj has also announced a further modernization of the armed forces. One of the questions at his daily daily briefing with the general staff was the formation of army corps, said Selenskyj in his evening video message. Kyiv will push ahead with the structure of fighting brigades. This should strengthen the defense capacity of the troops. “A modernization of the army system is without an alternative.”
• According to Russian information, Ukraine has targeted the energy infrastructure in Russia with a massive drone attack, including a nuclear power plant. Air defense systems have destroyed a drone that had attacked the nuclear power plant in the western region of Smolensk on the border with Belarus, said Governor Wassili Anochin about the short message service Telegram.
• According to its own statements, the Ukrainian military attacked an oil refinerie in the Russian city of Kstowo in the Nischni Novgorod region with drones. The military continues to say that a large fire broke out in the facility. The damage caused by the attack hundreds of kilometers from the Ukrainian border was still being checked.
• According to the local authorities, a mother and her two -year -old child were killed in a drone attack on the Russian region of Belgorod on the border with Ukraine. The father and another child were injured and taken to the hospital, says regional governor Wjatscheslaw Gladkow. The drone hit the family’s house.
• The EU Commission wants to ensure a further decline in imports from Russia and Belarus with massive customs increases. As the Brussels authority announced in the evening, the additional taxes on a number of agricultural products and certain nitrogen -containing fertilizers are to be charged. It is also planned to exclude goods from access to customs quotas of the EU.
• Union and FDP want to enforce an invitation to Finance Minister Jörg Kukies (SPD) in the Bundestag budget committee and to grant additional military aids for Ukraine in the amount of three billion euros. Unlike represented by Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), there is enough money in the federal budget, said the household experts from Union and FDP, Christian Haase and Otto Fricke, the Reuters news agency
• A solution is emerging for the energy crisis in the Prorussian separatist region of Transnistria in the Republic of Moldova. The Moldovian gas supplier Moldovagaz agreed with the gas company on a separate side of a first delivery of three million cubic meters of natural gas on credit. This was announced by Moldovagaz in the capital Chisinau.