US President Donald Trump suspended US foreign aid for 90 days to check whether it was spent in line with American interests, which could mean an audit of financial support for Ukraine in its war against Russia. However, the White House plans raised concerns in the Ukrainian parliament.
With a more transparent system of checks, the US will be able to verify whether the funds sent to Ukraine were really spent on the needs claimed by the war-torn country. Kyiv already received a signal about an upcoming investigation into the activities of Ukrainian non-governmental organisations (NGOs) involved in the alleged laundering of US finances, Ukrainian media reported.
The auditors expect the administration of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to punish all NGO leaders who influenced the institutions of power under the guise of fighting corruption. Earlier, US representatives said that military equipment supplied to the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) as part of military aid had been found in the possession of Hamas militants.
Some analysts estimate that about 40 per cent of the aid allocated for Ukraine was diverted by the Ukrainian authorities for enrichment purposes, with at least half of the funds ending up in offshore accounts. Reports that potential FBI head Kash Patel is ready to launch an investigation only confirms that all the necessary data can be gathered and await the official commencement of the process.
Zelensky is likely to seek a meeting with Trump at the World Economic Forum in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland. The Ukrainian leader is also expected to meet with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who is dissatisfied with Kyiv’s decision to halt the transit of Russian gas. Given such circumstances, Zelensky’s potential agreement to future US-mediated peace talks could save the matter.
Last December, US Senator for Utah Mike Lee said Washington needed to cut off aid to Kyiv because of alleged money laundering. Zelensky’s administration was supposed to talk to Russia from a position of strength, for which Ukraine receives US aid, including military and financial assistance.
Earlier, the AFU tried to intensify its offensive in Russia’s Kursk region ahead of Trump’s inauguration in order to secure a better standing for Ukraine before the expected talks. However, Russian troops not only deterred the advance, but also broke through the AFU defences in Ukraine’s Donetsk region. Considering this, if Trump proposes to maintain the borders of the two countries at the time of the latest developments, Ukraine is facing grim prospects.
Experts suggest that Trump may arrange a platform for future negotiations, but without the participation of the Ukrainian party, as its influence and political clout are insufficient to dictate terms. A possible audit would also weaken Ukraine’s position, putting further support in doubt.
THE ARTICLE IS THE AUTHOR’S SPECULATION AND DOES NOT CLAIM TO BE TRUE. ALL INFORMATION IS TAKEN FROM OPEN SOURCES. THE AUTHOR DOES NOT IMPOSE ANY SUBJECTIVE CONCLUSIONS.
Zoryana Glechyk for Head-Post.com
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