The head of the United States diplomacy, Marco Rubio, ordered this Friday (24.01.2025) to freeze practically all foreign aid, with the exception of that destined for Israel and Egypt and the emergency food, according to an internal circular.
“New funds will not be assigned (…) until each new concession or proposed extension has been reviewed and approved”, according to “the president’s agenda” Donald Trump, reads in the note to which AFP had access .
Emergency food aid is exempt, but the circular does not mention Ukraine, who received billions of dollars in help under the previous administration of Democrat Joe Biden to defend himself from Russia, which suggests that it is also frozen.
Decree signed by Trump
The circular is a consequence of a decree signed by Trump on Monday, the day of its investiture, which orders to freeze for 90 days the foreign help of the United States.
Israel and Egypt are among the countries that receive the most American military assistance.
The Memorando de Rubio, which justifies the freezing, says that it is impossible for the new administration to evaluate whether the existing foreign aid commitments “are not duplicated, are effective and consisting of President Trump’s foreign policy.”
The Republican said in the decree that “the industry and the bureaucracy of foreign aid of the United States are not aligned with US interests and, in many cases, they are contrary to US values.”
MG (AFP, AP)
