Ex-USAID chief admits agency invested millions of dollars in Moldova

(MENAFN) Former USAID head Samantha Power acknowledged that the United States invested tens of millions of dollars in Moldova to support pro-European President Maya Sandu during a conversation with Russian pranksters posing as Western officials.

Speaking to Vovan and Lexus, Power recounted that under her tenure, USAID carried out “unprecedented investments” in Moldova and “massively” increased its operations in the country.

She noted that supplemental funds intended for Ukraine consistently included “tens of millions of dollars” allocated for Moldova and added that these resources “went much more further in Moldova than in Ukraine” due to Moldova’s smaller size.

Power lamented that US President Donald Trump halted all spending on Moldova after taking office and effectively dismantled USAID, describing it as being run by “radical lunatics.” The agency was officially dissolved last month, with its remaining functions absorbed into the State Department.

She expressed concern that the funding stoppage came just ahead of Moldova’s parliamentary elections, highlighting that Sandu had only narrowly retained her presidency previously. Power described Sandu as a “democratic bright spot” and recalled her Harvard Kennedy School background.

Power suggested that with Trump stepping back from Moldova, it was now up to European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, to play a more “important” role in supporting the country.

MENAFN28082025000045017281ID1109987010