“State just totally went nuclear on foreign assistance,” a State Department official told Politico.
According to a new State Department memo, Donald Trump’s administration issued a 90-day pause on all foreign aid except for Israel and Egypt. Aid to Ukraine is also halted. Ukraine has received billions of dollars in the past few weeks alone. However, weapons will continue to flow to Ukraine.
“State just totally went nuclear on foreign assistance,” a State Department official told Politico.
Rubio’s guidance, issued to all diplomatic and consular posts, requires department staffers to issue “stop-work orders” on nearly all “existing foreign assistance awards,” according to the document obtained by Politico. It is effective immediately.
The memo signed by new Secretary of State Marco Rubio “shall ensure that, to the maximum extent permitted by law, no new obligations shall be made for foreign assistance” until Rubio carries out a review, which will take place over the next 85 days, at which time he will make his recommendation to Trump.
The Memo
According to the memo, this will ensure that America’s foreign aid obligations “are not duplicated, are effective, and are consistent with President Trump’s foreign policy.”
The memo contains a special waiver for “foreign military financing” for Egypt and Israel, “including salaries necessary to administer foreign military financing.” Those two countries happen to guard the exits to Gaza.
President Trump is concerned that the ceasefire will not hold.
Russian President Putin has signaled he is willing to talk to President Trump about the end to the Ukraine war. Trump wants to speak with him about denuclearization.
According to the memo, this will ensure that America’s foreign aid obligations “are not duplicated, effective, and consistent with President Trump’s foreign policy.”
The memo contains a special waiver for “foreign military financing” for Egypt and Israel, “including salaries necessary to administer foreign military financing.” Those two countries happen to guard the exits to Gaza.
This is a brilliant move. It looks like this administration will demand some accountability from the nations that receive our money.
All Aid Must Align with US Foreign Policy
According to the AP, Trump declared that “no further United States foreign assistance shall be disbursed in a manner that is not fully aligned with the foreign policy of the President of the United States.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee during his confirmation hearing last week that “every dollar we spend, every program we fund, and every policy we pursue must be justified with the answer to three simple questions:
“Does it make America safer, Does it make America stronger, Does it make America more prosperous?” he said.
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