US Secretary of State Rubio approves freeze on foreign aid - Reuters
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has approved the suspension of all foreign aid to the United States.
According to Censor.NET, Reuters reports this with reference to a document signed by the head of the State Department.
The document states that until the Secretary of State reviews the existing contracts, the foreign aid provided for by them will not be provided.
In addition, it states that senior officials "should ensure that, to the maximum extent permitted by law, no new foreign aid commitments are made" until Rubio makes a decision.
"Decisions to extend, modify, or terminate programs will be made" after they are reviewed over the next 85 days, until then Rubio can approve exceptions, the document says.
The secretary of state made an exception for emergency food aid, which could, in particular, apply to the Gaza Strip and Sudan.
Rubio also approved exemptions for "foreign military financing to Israel and Egypt and administrative costs, including salaries, necessary to administer foreign military financing."
Israel annually receives about $3.3 billion from the United States, Egypt - about $1.3 billion.
The document does not say to what extent Rubio's order relates to aid to Ukraine.
