State Department reported exceptions to the program to suspend U.S. foreign aid
The United States will maintain funding for some of its national security programs, including protection of personnel overseas, despite the decision to suspend foreign aid for 90 days. This is stated in a statement of the U.S. State Department on January 29.
The department notes that the pause announced by US President Donald Trump to review foreign aid has already begun to "pay dividends" to the American people. In this way, the country's authorities are exposing activities abroad that are contrary to the country's national interests. However, some exceptions have also been made, and in some aspects the funding is not stopped.
"Critical national security exemptions have been granted, including to ensure the protection of U.S. personnel overseas, facilitate the repatriation of illegal aliens, ensure compliance with nonproliferation obligations, and much more," the document said.
The State Department also emphasized that American aid to other countries should not be provided "on autopilot." And Americans, being a generous people, should know what other countries are spending their dollars on. A pause would allow scrutiny and prevent their own losses.
"Even leaving aside the generous support for Ukraine over the past few years, the U.S. spends about $70 billion annually on foreign aid. That is more than the GDP of several U.S. states," the State Department said.
Earlier on January 29, The Washington Post reported on the suspension of the US military and economic support to Ukraine. At the same time, The New York Times wrote that the Trump administration had partially backtracked on the executive order to suspend foreign aid.
Trump suspended US development aid to other countries for 90 days on January 21 by executive order. The rationale is that the "foreign aid industry" is not in Washington's interest, often contradicts U.S. values, and supports destabilization in the world.
Later, on January 25, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) froze programs to support foreign countries, including Ukraine. As the Associated Press later noted, Ukrainian officials funded by the US State Department may lose money as part of the freeze.
Reacting to the suspension of financial aid, the deputy head of the office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (his term of office expired on May 20, 2024), Iryna Vereshchuk, said that this step was unexpected and unpleasant news for Kiev. In her turn, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, ridiculed the decision to stop training Ukrainian medical workers, which was taken after Trump's decree to freeze the aid.
