Marco Rubio freezes U.S. foreign aid, except for Israel, Egypt
The new head of U.S. diplomacy, Marco Rubio, has frozen U.S. foreign aid, except for the assistance provided to Egypt and Israel, pending a full review of all programs, as stated in an internal memo from the State Department, according to AFP.
"No new funds will be allocated until each new allocation or extension is reviewed and approved in accordance with President Donald Trump’s agenda," the memo states.
Emergency food aid is exempt, but the memo does not mention Ukraine, which received billions of dollars in aid under the Biden administration to defend against Russia, implying that aid to Ukraine is also frozen.
Israel and Egypt are some of the largest recipients of U.S. military aid.
The memo follows an executive order issued by President Donald Trump on Monday, the day of his inauguration, which mandates a 90-day freeze on U.S. foreign aid, as reported by Agerpres.
Marco Rubio clarified that it is impossible for the new administration to assess whether the existing foreign aid commitments are duplicative, effective, and in line with President Trump’s foreign policy.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
