Zelenskyy reacts as USAID freezes funding for Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has cautioned that if US President Donald Trump pulls American support for Ukraine, Europe alone will be unable to bridge the gap. 

“There are voices which say that Europe could offer security guarantees without the Americans, and I always say no,” said the Ukrainian president during an hour-long interview with the Guardian at the presidential administration in Kyiv, Caliber.Az reports.

“Security guarantees without America are not real security guarantees,” he added. Trump has expressed his desire to end the war in Ukraine, but critics worry that a US-mediated agreement could require Ukraine to give in to Vladimir Putin’s extreme demands.

Zelenskyy stated that he is open to negotiations but wants Ukraine to approach them from a "position of strength."

He also mentioned he would offer lucrative reconstruction contracts and investment opportunities to American companies in an effort to win Trump’s support.

“Those who are helping us to save Ukraine will [have the chance to] renovate it, with their businesses together with Ukrainian businesses. All these things we are ready to speak about in detail,” he said. 

Zelenskyy is set to attend the Munich Security Conference later this week, where he anticipates meeting US Vice President JD Vance, a prominent critic of Ukraine within Trump's circle. Last year, Vance, then a senator, declined to meet Zelenskyy and previously stated that he didn’t "really care what happens to Ukraine, one way or the other." The Ukrainian president emphasised the importance of continued US military support for Ukraine’s security, citing the example of US-made Patriot air defence systems.

“Only Patriot can defend us against all kinds of missiles, only Patriots. There are other [European] systems … but they cannot provide full protection … So even from this small example you can see that without America, security guarantees cannot be complete,” he said. 

On the USAid freeze, Zelenskyy said: “We aren’t going to complain that some programmes have been frozen, because the most important thing for us is the military aid and that has been preserved, for which I’m grateful … If the American side has the possibility and desire to continue its humanitarian mission, we are fully for it, and if it doesn’t, then we will find our own way out of this situation.”

The early days of Trump's presidency raised significant concerns for Ukrainians. One major issue was the global halt on USAid projects, which in Ukraine disrupted hundreds of organisations working on a wide range of initiatives, including support for army veterans, schools, and bomb shelters.

By Naila Huseynova