The U.S. State Department has announced an immediate, large-scale pause in foreign aid, which may include assistance to Ukraine, reports POLITICO, citing sources and a document obtained by the publication.
"Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued new directives on Friday that halt expenditures on most existing foreign aid grants for 90 days. The order, which has shocked State Department officials, appears to affect funding for military assistance to Ukraine," POLITICO writes.
According to the document obtained by POLITICO, State Department employees are required to issue "stop-work orders" on nearly all "existing foreign aid grants." The directive takes effect immediately.
This document seems to go further than a recent order from President Donald Trump, which instructed the department to suspend foreign aid grants for 90 days pending a review by the Secretary of State. It was unclear from Trump's order whether it would affect already allocated funds or assistance to Ukraine.
The "stop-work orders" mentioned in the document appear to pertain to American aid to all countries except Israel and Egypt.
"One current State Department official, along with two former officials from the Biden administration, stated that this pause seems likely to halt assistance to key allies such as Ukraine, Jordan, and Taiwan," the publication reports, citing sources on the condition of anonymity.
The guidance indicates that "decisions regarding the extension, modification, or termination of programs will be made after their review" by the Secretary of State.
The State Department is expected to prepare a report within 85 days of the announcement of the directives, which will accompany Rubio's recommendations to Trump regarding which foreign aid programs to continue and which to terminate.
Source: https://www.politico.com/news/2025/01/24/state-department-foreign-aid-pause-00200510