Donald Trump is preparing to swing a budgetary guillotine over nearly all funding to Nato, the UN, and 20 international organisations, according to an internal White House memo.
The proposal would gut the US state department’s budget by 48%, leaving $28.4 billion (almost £20 billion) for its activities.
Funding for international organisations? Down from $1.5 billion (£1.1 billion) to a lonely $169 million (£127 million), according to Politico.
This means that Nato, for decades touted as a pillar of US foreign policy – and frequently the target of Trump’s disdain – could be left scrambling for loose change.
Minimal support would be spared for a few agencies, like the International Atomic Energy Agency and the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
It is unclear how far the cuts will get, but they aligns with the broader White House efforts to slash federal spending.
After it was presented to the state department last week, the proposal is still in the very early stages.
It is not expected to pass with the department’s leadership and Congress, which will ultimately be asked to vote on the entire federal budget in the coming months.
Officials familiar with the proposal say it must still go through more rounds of review before it even gets to lawmakers, who in the past have amended and even rejected White House budget requests.
Still, the message is loud and clear and it gives an indication of the current administration’s priorities.
It also coincides with huge job and funding cuts across the government, from health and human services and the education department to the US agency for international development.
Key points about the proposed budget cuts
Foreign aid slashed – funding managed by the state department and USAID cut in half (was $52 billion in 2024)
Pay freeze – staff pay frozen through next year; travel and benefits reduced for foreign service workers
Global health funding eliminated – most funding scrapped except for small amounts for HIV, TB, and malaria
No more UN funding – ends funding for the United Nations, Nato and major NGOs
Afghanistan support – office helping Afghan allies flee Taliban rule shut down, alongside watchdog for US programmes in the country
Refugee programmes cut – several programmes reduced and moved to a new humanitarian bureau
Notes from an internal meeting about the proposal have been circulated in online chat groups among foreign service officers since the weekend.
If the cuts do go ahead, this could embolden US enemies, but also rattle Western allies, while tensions only rise in Europe.
One senior US official, who wished to remain anonymous, familiar with the proposal blasted it as ‘aggressive’ in terms of cost-cutting.
Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said she was ‘deeply troubled’ by the proposed cuts.
‘When America First becomes America Alone, our economy, security and prosperity will suffer as adversaries fill the void the Trump Administration leaves behind,’ Shaheen said in a statement.
‘Investments in diplomatic programs that promote peace and stability, and advance American national security interests are commonsense priorities that should be reflected in the state department’s budget request.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@usnewsrank.com.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
Discover more from USNewsRank
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.