The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will consider funding energy and infrastructure programs in Ukraine that were previously funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Points of attention
- Japan's JICA will consider funding energy and infrastructure programs in Ukraine previously supported by USAID, focusing on filling the gaps in the energy sector.
- Cooperation between JICA and the Ukrainian government on energy and infrastructure restoration will become a priority following the suspension of USAID programs.
- The termination of USAID's foreign assistance programs opens new opportunities for Japan to support Ukraine in energy development and infrastructure.
Japan seeks to help Ukraine restore energy
This was stated by the head of the Ukrainian office of JICA Hideki Matsunaga at the 5th Ukrainian-Japanese forum organized by the New Europe Center.
Matsunaga noted that the approaches of USAID and JICA are somewhat different, so it will be difficult to pick up certain programs that USAID implemented, particularly in the legal sector, as well as directly fund civil society.
But we would like to see what gaps have emerged in the energy sector and try to fill them as much as possible. Of course, we have certain budgetary constraints, but we would like to do more... Of course, we have to think seriously about the energy sector and infrastructure, and we will look at these sectors.
On January 20, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order suspending all foreign aid programs for 90 days pending reviews to determine whether they align with his policy goals.
On January 24, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered a “cease fire” on all foreign aid, with the exception of emergency food aid, which could affect, among other things, Gaza and Sudan.
