Hundreds of millions of dollars promised by Western partners to Ukraine for the restoration of its energy infrastructure have yet to arrive, despite significant damage to the country’s energy system and a harsh winter with extremely low temperatures.
This is reported by Finway
Reasons for Funding Delay
According to American and Ukrainian officials, the funds intended for purchasing liquefied natural gas and repairing energy facilities damaged by Russian attacks remain blocked. Previously, the Biden administration planned to allocate aid through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). However, following President Donald Trump’s assumption of office, this agency was dissolved, and the resources allocated to Ukraine found themselves in a state of uncertainty.
Sources emphasize that the delay in providing funds is primarily related to bureaucratic confusion and internal disputes within the U.S. administration, rather than attempts at political pressure on Ukraine.
Impact of Aid Delay on the Energy Sector
This concerns approximately $250 million. The situation is causing growing frustration, especially in light of intensified Russian attacks on Ukrainian power plants, which have led to mass power and heating outages for millions of Ukrainians during the coldest period of winter.
“Support for Ukraine’s energy sector by the Biden administration has been a disaster. We have a USAID IG report showing how contractors in Ukraine likely lost energy production worth millions due to lack of oversight, corruption, theft, and so on,” wrote a spokesperson in an email.
Ukrainian officials have reported that they are aware of the delay in aid but are avoiding active discussion of the issue, fearing negative reactions from Washington and potential diplomatic complications. It has been noted that President Donald Trump views Ukraine’s requests for additional support with a degree of skepticism.
At the same time, the Office of Management and Budget of the White House has accused the Ukrainian side and the previous Biden administration of improper use of American funds. Additionally, sources among Western experts have noted that aid has been slow due to concerns about widespread corruption in Ukraine’s energy sector.