Moldova seeks ways to continue USAID programs

Moldovan President Maia Sandu has said that the authorities are negotiating with the United States to preserve the USAID programs, which have been suspended.

Sandu made the remarks at a press conference following talks with European Council head António Costa, Caiber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

“We will continue to discuss USAID projects with the United States to see if we can keep them going, and if not, we will obviously discuss with other partners how we can continue them. The energy program was extremely important to us,” Sandu said.

She also noted the importance of the US and EU funding for Moldova's defense spending.

“Defense spending is in the budget, it has been approved. We are grateful that the EU supports us in strengthening security,” she added.

In January 2025, President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14169, titled "Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid," which mandated a 90-day suspension of all U.S. foreign development assistance programs to conduct a comprehensive review. This order led to the termination of nearly 10,000 grants and contracts administered by the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), effectively reducing USAID's global operations by 92%.

The abrupt cessation of USAID activities has caused significant disruptions in global humanitarian efforts. Organizations have been forced to lay off staff, cancel projects, and halt supply chains, leading to immediate humanitarian chaos, particularly in regions heavily reliant on U.S. aid.

By Khagan Isayev