US Secretary of State announces overhaul of foreign aid programmes to focus on national interests

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that US foreign aid programmes would be restructured to prioritise national interests.

His statement came after the US Agency for International Development (USAID) was instructed to suspend all current programmes, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Rubio was appointed interim head of USAID after Elon Musk's associates gained access to the agency's internal systems. The Secretary also clarified that some USAID projects, such as those in Costa Rica, were exempt from the suspension due to their role in combating drug trafficking, crime, and terrorism.

"They are stopping drugs; they are stopping criminals; they are identifying terrorists,” said Rubio. “This is foreign aid that supports national interests. We have questions about other programs. But we have also issued exemptions because we do not want anyone to die or suffer in the short term.” 

He stated that humanitarian aid, including food and medical supplies, will proceed, but other programs will be reevaluated. The Secretary emphasised that international aid should focus on advancing US national interests, rather than being viewed as charity.

“Every dollar we spend, while I am Secretary of State and while President [Donald] Trump is in the White House, will be a dollar that advances our national interests,” Rubio stated. “And you see that here today. These are programs that work; this is the foreign aid we should be doing.” 

Rubio also raised concerns about the transparency of USAID program funding, pointing out that Congress lacked access to detailed spending data. He highlighted that funds often passed through several contractors before reaching the final recipients. By September 2024, USAID had managed $3.9 billion in aid to Ukraine, with $1.5 billion of that allocated to financial assistance for war refugees.

By Naila Huseynova