In a major decision by US President Donald Trump’s administration, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday (January 24) ordered a sweeping halt on foreign aid pausing the most of it for 90 days pending a review. As per reports in US media, the pause includes aid for Ukraine and also Taiwan. Officials in the administration are expressing shock as, though Trump’s hawkish view on US foreign aid was well-known, it wasn’t quite expected that such an across the board action will be taken. The pause comes into effect immediately.
Politico reported that the official document it had seen said that Rubio’s guidance has been issued to all diplomatic and counsular posts. It further directs the staffers to issue “stop-work orders” on almost all “existing foreign assistance awards”.
The latest decision is likely to sending seismic waves through global politics which is yet to come to terms with Trump’s earlier decisions of taking US out of World Health Organisation (WHO) and Paris climate accord.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lel0oT_B3FI
Donald Trump has been stressing for years that countries in the Western bloc should pay more for upkeep in organisations like NATO and others.
The US has long been the keystone of such groupings, almost always bearing huge part of expenses. US aid in many other parts of the world is crucial.
Politico reported that Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s order applies even to aid that’s already approved. This means that officials will not be able to take any action to disperse aid.
Not all aid is stopped however, and there is some room for interpretation in Rubio’s order.
Foreign military financing to Egypt and Israel will continue. The order also says that “legitimate expenses incurred prior to the date of this” guidance “under existing awards” will be eligible for aid. Additionally, the order also says that the decisions about continuation or stoppage of aid should be “consistent with the terms of the relevant award.” This means that based on legal interpretation, some aid would continue.
