Secretary of State Marco Rubio is signaling that the Trump administration has finished its six-week dismantling of the six-decade-old U.S.

Summary

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the completion of the Trump administration’s six-week purge of USAID programs, eliminating 83% of the agency’s initiatives.

The remaining 18% will move under State Department control.

The administration claims eliminated programs “did not serve the core national interests” of the US. Critics argue the shutdown is illegal without congressional approval.

Aid groups report even life-saving programs received termination notices. The rapid dismantling has left thousands unemployed and billions in unpaid contracts, with many USAID staff still stranded overseas awaiting travel expenses.

  • tal@lemmy.todayEnglish
    5·
    5 hours ago

    https://www.politico.eu/article/usaid-freeze-russia-influence-eastern-europe-georgia-ukraine-moldova-belarus-ngo-media/

    BRUSSELS — United States President Donald Trump’s international aid freeze will evaporate funding for civil society groups across Eastern Europe, undercutting pro-democracy initiatives and creating an open goal for Russia to boost its hold on the region.

    The Trump administration’s steps toward dismantling the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) — pausing most existing foreign aid for 90 days pending review and placing nearly all its employees on paid leave — directly affects ongoing humanitarian and development projects worldwide.

    The effects will be particularly profound in Europe, where USAID pledged $17.2 billion worth of aid in 2023, the lion’s share of which went to Eastern European countries bordering Russia.

    The money, equivalent to 40 percent of the agency’s total aid commitments, is used to fund projects ranging from democratic reforms to energy infrastructure and disease prevention.

    For countries like Armenia, Georgia and Ukraine, where Russia’s shadow looms large, analysts have warned that cuts to aid from Washington would dramatically strengthen Moscow’s hand and reinforce the narrative of unreliable Western partners.