Trump halts foreign aid for review: Policy alignment at stake
President Donald Trump of the USA has suspended all American foreign aid programs for 90 days to assess their alignment with his foreign policy, according to an order published Monday on the White House website.
The document specifies that "no further foreign aid from the United States can be disbursed in a manner that is not fully in line with the president's foreign policy."
Trump believes that the current method of delivering this aid has not contributed to "world peace," because "it promoted ideas in foreign countries directly contrary to harmonious and stable domestic and (international) relations."
The person responsible for reviewing this foreign aid will be Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who, in some cases, may waive the decision on the 90-day suspension.
Trump has long opposed foreign aid, despite it accounting for about 1% of the federal budget—except in extraordinary circumstances, such as the billions of dollars' worth of weapons delivered to Ukraine—observed the Associated Press agency.
The main institutions in the USA responsible for disbursing foreign aid are the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
The largest recipients of American foreign aid
As AP reminded us, the latest calculations of aid provided by the Joe Biden administration indicate that in the fiscal year 2023, Washington allocated $68 billion to foreign programs—ranging from disaster relief to health and pro-democracy initiatives in 204 countries and regions.
The largest recipients of American aid include Israel ($3.3 billion annually), Egypt ($1.5 billion annually), and Jordan ($1.7 billion annually). However, according to AP, they will not feel the impact of the current order because they are part of long-term packages and, in some cases, issues regarding support delivery to these countries are treaty-regulated.
Global agencies note that it is not entirely clear which funds will be halted because Congress has already allocated funding for many programs and they should be disbursed.
During his first term in the White House, from 2017 to 2021, Trump sought to reduce spending on foreign aid, suspending payments to various UN agencies, AP reminded us.
