The U.S. has suspended most foreign aid, including assistance to Ukraine, except for emergency food relief and military aid to Israel and Egypt.
“No additional funds will be allocated to new programs or extensions of existing ones until each proposal is reviewed and approved,” states a memorandum issued by Secretary of State Marco Rubio on January 24, as reported by AFP.
The directive took immediate effect and applies to nearly all U.S. foreign military and development aid. This includes Ukraine, which has received billions of dollars in military assistance under former President Joe Biden. The memorandum outlines exceptions, including military aid to Israel and Egypt. The U.S. has recently provided significant arms packages to Israel following the outbreak of conflict in Gaza. Egypt has also received substantial defense funding since signing a peace treaty with Israel in 1979.
Another exception is U.S. contributions to emergency food relief programs, which have been essential in addressing global humanitarian crises, including those in Sudan and Syria.
The State Department may approve temporary exemptions for specific cases to cover employee salaries and administrative costs, according to the memo. It also calls for a comprehensive review of all U.S. foreign aid programs within 85 days.
Reason for the Freeze
Secretary Rubio, who supported foreign development aid as a senator, stated that the new administration needs to assess whether current aid commitments are "duplicative, effective, and aligned with President Donald Trump’s foreign policy objectives."
The U.S. has historically been the world’s largest donor in terms of aid volume, though several European countries, particularly in Scandinavia, contribute more as a percentage of GDP. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the U.S. allocated over $64 billion for foreign development aid in 2023, the last year for which data is available.
Foreign aid has long been a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy. However, President Trump pledged to limit such aid under his "America First" agenda. On January 20, he signed an executive order suspending foreign aid for 90 days, though the specifics of its implementation were unclear at the time.
Congressional Concerns
"Republican lawmakers have criticized what they perceive as the erosion of America’s global credibility in dealings with countries like China, Russia, and Iran. Now, our credibility is at risk as we appear to abandon commitments to global partners," Representatives Gregory Meeks and Lois Frankel, both Democrats, wrote in a joint statement.
(Reported by AFP and AP)
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