US diplomats have urgently requested an exemption for Ukraine-related programs from the 90-day foreign aid freeze and "stop work" order imposed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday, according to documents seen by the Financial Times and unnamed sources who spoke to the publication.
Senior diplomats in the State Department's Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs have urged Rubio to grant a full waiver, exempting the US Agency for International Development (USAID) operations in Ukraine from the "stop work" order, citing national security concerns.
