US temporarily halts aid to almost all countries 

Washington: The United States has temporarily suspended aid to almost all countries in the world, including Ukraine, with only emergency food and military funding for Israel and Egypt being exempted.

According to US media, the United States has temporarily suspended almost all foreign aid programs. The suspended programs include aid programs for Ukraine, Taiwan, and Jordan.

These aid programs have been suspended for an initial period of 90 days. Only Israel and Egypt will be exempted.

According to US media, the State Department has issued an order to all US diplomatic and consular missions, asking them to immediately suspend all aid programs and stop all work in this regard.

Now, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will personally review these programs and decide whether to change or completely end them.

The State Department has not yet confirmed this news.

However, according to media reports, this news has caused a stir among US State Department employees.

According to US media, this order will apply to all previously approved programs. However, it has been said that emergency food aid and some other matters can continue.

Officials have been asked not to start any new aid program or expand the current program until it is reviewed and approved.

Both military and development programs will come under the scope of this order.

This move by the State Department will also affect the antiretroviral drug program against AIDS in Africa, which has been ongoing since the George Bush Jr. era. The US gave $64 billion in aid to various countries in 2023.

According to media reports, this US aid is used as a foreign policy tool.

At the end of December 2024, Joe Biden promised to send $2.5 billion worth of weapons to Ukraine. This package included $1.2 billion worth of weapons that are in US warehouses, while the other $1.2 billion worth of weapons were to be manufactured and sent through contracts.

The suspension of aid to Ukraine is likely to make it easier for the US and Russia to end the Ukraine war.

It is pertinent to note that in December, former President Biden approved $571.03 million in defense aid for Taiwan. China expressed serious reservations about this.

A better deal will likely be tried with China by freezing Taiwan’s aid.

Similarly, in 2022, Joe Biden promised that $1.45 billion in annual aid would be given to Jordan from 2023 to 2029.