$200 million over 5 years: The U.S. has sharply reduced cybersecurity aid to Ukraine

The United States has restricted cybersecurity assistance to Ukraine so much that even some contracted equipment deliveries were not completed.

This information reported according to Bloomberg.

The agency reports that contracts with dozens of specialists providing cybersecurity technical support at hundreds of sites across Ukraine have been canceled or suspended, and planned deliveries of computer equipment and software were never made.

Sources told Bloomberg that it was precisely with U.S. assistance that Ukraine was previously able to repel Russian cyberattacks targeting power plants and the Cabinet of Ministers’ resources.

Over the past five years or so, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) alone allocated more than $200 million to cybersecurity assistance for Ukraine. The National Security Agency (NSA) and U.S. Cyber Command also provided support.

This aid has been viewed as critical in helping Ukraine prevent and recover from cyberattacks on government officials, telecommunications companies, and energy providers during the conflict.

According to interviews with eight individuals directly familiar with the situation — who shared previously undisclosed details about the impact of U.S. actions on Ukraine’s cyber defenses — dozens of people in Ukraine and the U.S. who provided cybersecurity technical assistance have lost their contracts or had them suspended.

The U.S. had helped Ukraine fend off Russian attempts to sabotage power plants and breach the Cabinet of Ministers, Ukraine’s top executive branch of government, according to these individuals.

Already planned deliveries of computer hardware and software intended to secure Ukraine’s infrastructure have not been completed, they added. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity due to fears of reprisals from the Trump administration.

The cutback in cybersecurity support will weaken Ukraine’s digital front lines, making the country “an easy target” for Russia, said Yehor Aushev, a cybersecurity expert from Kyiv who organized a volunteer “cyber army” to counter Russian hackers.

“The sudden and unannounced cessation of cyber operations,” he said, “created a significant problem.”

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is working to ensure that every dollar of USAID spending contributes to making America “safer, stronger, and more prosperous,” according to a State Department spokesperson. As a result, cybersecurity projects are being reviewed to determine which best align with Trump’s priorities.

When asked for comment, a White House representative said all foreign aid programs are under review to ensure they align with Trump’s priorities.

The NSA declined to comment on its aid to Ukraine and its overall cost, and U.S. Cyber Command did not respond to a request for comment. In March, the Pentagon denied journalists’ reports that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had ordered a halt to offensive cyber operations against Russia.

Ukraine’s State Service for Special Communications and Information Protection, which oversees cybersecurity efforts in the country, referred questions about funding cuts to Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

American cybersecurity aid had included specialized support, training, equipment, and software for organizations across Ukraine, including dozens of government agencies and departments, key gas and electricity suppliers, the national bank, and nuclear facilities, according to sources reviewed by Bloomberg News and documents obtained.

According to sources, U.S. funding constituted the largest source of cybersecurity support for Ukraine. USAID grants funded several cybersecurity initiatives in Ukraine, some approved during Trump’s first administration, including efforts to secure the country’s election infrastructure and diplomatic communications networks, according to contracts reviewed by Bloomberg News.