Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered a halt to virtually all U.S. foreign aid, but made exceptions for funding to Israel and Egypt, according to an internal memo to State Department officials.
“Consistent with President Trump’s agenda, no new funding will be obligated for new awards or extensions of existing awards until each proposed new award or extension is reviewed and approved,” the memo said. It is written in
The sweeping order is expected to affect everything from development aid to military aid, including billions of dollars in weapons funding under Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden’s administration to try to repel Russian aggression. This may include Ukraine, which received .
But the memorandum was signed by Israel, a long-standing major arms supplier from the United States that has expanded since the Gaza War, and which has received generous defense funding from the United States since signing a peace treaty with Israel in 1979. It clearly stipulates exceptions for military aid to Egypt.
Just hours after taking office on Monday, President Trump ordered a 90-day moratorium on foreign development aid pending a review of efficiency and consistency with foreign policy.
But the scope of the order was not immediately clear, and given that Congress decides the federal government’s budget, it is unclear what funding could be cut. People familiar with Congressional discussions about the move argued that Trump’s order was illegal.
“If we freeze these international investments, our international partners will be forced to turn to other funding partners, perhaps even our competitors, to fill this void and eliminate U.S. influence,” the official said on condition of anonymity. “We will be looking for opponents.”
The State Department memo, effective immediately, says that until Rubio reviews and makes a decision, senior administration officials “will ensure, to the fullest extent permitted by law, that no new obligations are imposed on foreign assistance.”
Existing foreign aid agreements will be subject to an immediate stop-work order pending Rubio’s review.
“This is a manufactured mess,” said a former senior official at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), speaking on condition of anonymity.
“The organization must cease all activities and therefore all life-saving medical services, HIV/AIDS, nutrition, maternal and child health, all agricultural work, all support to civil society organizations, and education. “There is,” the official said.
A USAid official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said project managers in Ukraine had been instructed to stop all work. Officials said the frozen projects include support for schools and medical assistance such as emergency maternal and child care and childhood immunizations.
Rubio said the review will take place over the next 85 days and will make overall decisions about whether to continue, modify or terminate the program. Until then, Rubio can approve waivers. Rubio issued a waiver for emergency food assistance, according to the memo.
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This comes amid a surge in humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip following a ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas that began on Sunday, and several other hunger crises around the world, including in Sudan. Ta.
The State Department memo also said Rubio has so far approved waivers for “foreign military funding to Israel and Egypt and administrative expenses, including salaries, necessary to manage foreign military funding.”
Israel receives about $3.3 billion in foreign military funding annually, while Egypt receives about $1.3 billion.
Other countries identified for such loans in 2025 include Ukraine, Georgia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Taiwan, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Djibouti, Colombia, according to the request to Congress. Includes Panama, Ecuador, Israel, Egypt, and Jordan. From the Biden administration.
The request also stated that foreign military financing “is also aimed at easing instability and strengthening the Lebanese Armed Forces’ ability to counter Iran’s negative influence.”
Lebanese forces are currently attempting to deploy into the country’s south as Israeli forces withdraw under a cease-fire agreement that also requires Iran-backed Hezbollah to remove its weapons and fighter jets from the region.
