Lapatilla
The head of US diplomacy, Marco Rubio, ordered on Friday to freeze practically all foreign aid, with the exception of that destined for Israel and Egypt and emergency food, according to an internal circular.
“No new funds will be allocated (…) until each new concession or proposed extension has been reviewed and approved,” in accordance with “the agenda of President” Donald Trump, reads the note to which AFP had access.
Emergency food aid is exempt, but the circular does not mention Ukraine, which received billions of dollars in aid under Democrat Joe Biden’s previous administration to defend itself against Russia, suggesting it is also frozen.
The circular is a consequence of a decree signed by Trump on Monday, the day of his inauguration, which orders a freeze on US foreign aid for 90 days.
Israel and Egypt are among the countries that receive the most US military assistance.
Rubio’s memo, which justifies the freeze, states that it is impossible for the new administration to assess whether existing foreign aid commitments “are not duplicative, effective, and consistent with President Trump’s foreign policy.”
The Republican assured in the decree that “the United States foreign aid industry and bureaucracy are not aligned with American interests and, in many cases, are contrary to American values.” /AFP
