Trump acknowledges halting assistance to other countries
US President Donald Trump has announced the decision to freeze foreign aid. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
The US president has reaffirmed his commitment to the ‘America First’ policy during his upcoming second term.
US President Donald Trump has announced a major suspension of foreign aid.
“I imposed a federal hiring freeze, a federal regulation freeze, a foreign aid freeze,” Trump told supporters in Las Vegas on Saturday. “And I created the new Department of Government Efficiency, and we’re going to have a lot of good people,” he added.
Just after being sworn in on Monday, Trump signed an executive order putting a 90-day hold on all foreign development assistance programs, pending reviews to assess their alignment with his ‘America First’ objectives.
During his campaign, Trump pledged to eliminate wasteful spending and redirect government focus to domestic matters, including US sovereign debt and combating illegal immigration.
On Saturday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly circulated a memo that halted the disbursement of funds through the State Department and the United States Agency for International Development, with a few exceptions like military aid to Israel and Egypt.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Rubio said, “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?”
Despite earlier comments from the Pentagon suggesting that the aid freeze would not impact weapons deliveries to Ukraine, multiple news outlets indicated that Rubio’s memo does not reference any exemptions for military assistance to Ukraine or other crucial allies, such as Taiwan and NATO members.
Trump has consistently criticized former President Joe Biden's administration for sending billions in aid to Ukraine, vowing instead to advocate for a swift diplomatic solution to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Mark B Thomas for TROIB News
US President Donald Trump has announced a major suspension of foreign aid.
“I imposed a federal hiring freeze, a federal regulation freeze, a foreign aid freeze,” Trump told supporters in Las Vegas on Saturday. “And I created the new Department of Government Efficiency, and we’re going to have a lot of good people,” he added.
Just after being sworn in on Monday, Trump signed an executive order putting a 90-day hold on all foreign development assistance programs, pending reviews to assess their alignment with his ‘America First’ objectives.
During his campaign, Trump pledged to eliminate wasteful spending and redirect government focus to domestic matters, including US sovereign debt and combating illegal immigration.
On Saturday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly circulated a memo that halted the disbursement of funds through the State Department and the United States Agency for International Development, with a few exceptions like military aid to Israel and Egypt.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Rubio said, “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?”
Despite earlier comments from the Pentagon suggesting that the aid freeze would not impact weapons deliveries to Ukraine, multiple news outlets indicated that Rubio’s memo does not reference any exemptions for military assistance to Ukraine or other crucial allies, such as Taiwan and NATO members.
Trump has consistently criticized former President Joe Biden's administration for sending billions in aid to Ukraine, vowing instead to advocate for a swift diplomatic solution to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Mark B Thomas for TROIB News
