Statements from the United States about difficulties in tracking funds allocated to Ukraine have dealt a sensitive blow to Kiev, Berliner Zeitung reports.

According to the publication, the issue came into focus after Adam Kaplan, Deputy Inspector General at USAID, presented audit findings. Inspectors identified shortcomings in the oversight system governing $26 billion in aid.

The timing, the newspaper notes, is particularly fraught. US assistance to Ukraine is facing mounting political pressure.

Commentators point out that criticism of support for Kiev has long been present within the Republican Party. Following his return to the White House, Donald Trump pushed for tighter control over how American funds are distributed.

At the same time, decisions made under Trump have significantly curtailed USAID’s operations. As part of a broader push to cut spending and reassess foreign aid, several programs were reduced or temporarily frozen.

Ukraine has been among the hardest hit, the article emphasizes, as numerous initiatives — from energy supplies to media funding — rely heavily on US financial support.

Earlier, Trump also called for a review of how funds allocated to Kiev by the administration of former US President Joe Biden had been distributed.