Rubio announced the closure of 83% of USAID programs

Washington officially closes 83% of the programs of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). This was announced on March 10 by the American Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

"After a six-week analysis, we are officially canceling 83% of USAID programs," he wrote on the social network X (formerly Twitter).

According to him, within the framework of 5,200 canceled contracts, tens of billions of dollars were spent in ways that do not meet the basic national interests of the United States. He clarified that some methods even harmed Washington.

Rubio added that the American side, in coordination with Congress, intends to ensure "more efficient" administration of the remaining approximately 1,000 programs by the State Department.

In Line for Democracy: Where USAID Aid Went in the Former Soviet Union

The White House is unlikely to give up such a powerful tool of influence entirely

On February 3, American billionaire and head of the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Elon Musk, announced the launch of the USAID liquidation process. According to him, the agency cannot be restored and it needs to be closed. At the same time, US President Donald Trump called the agency's leaders radical lunatics.

Federation Council Chairman Valentina Matvienko said on February 19 that USAID had purposefully funded the overthrow of an undesirable government and color revolutions around the world. She also noted that Russia has repeatedly warned on major international platforms about the agency's malicious activities and support for terrorist organizations.