US State Department rejects budget proposal with clause on ending NATO support
Donald Trump, President of the US (photo: Getty Images)
The US State Department has challenged several provisions in a memorandum from the White House's Office of Management and Budget, which proposed to completely halt US funding for NATO, according to NBC News.
State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce did not definitively state that halting NATO funding is impossible, but she repeatedly emphasized that no plan would be final until President Donald Trump presents a full federal budget to Congress.
According to the memorandum reviewed by NBC News, funding for the State Department and remaining programs of the USAID agency would be reduced to $28.4 billion, nearly half of last year's budget.
Trump's administration recommended cutting contributions to more than 20 international organizations by 89%, reducing them from $1.4 billion to $169 million. This included the complete elimination of funding for the United Nations and NATO.
"It really makes me concerned when I see the word ‘eliminate,’" said Bruce, adding that she traveled with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to NATO headquarters, where he confirmed our full commitment to NATO, as did the President of the US.
The State Department spokesperson stated that the idea of cutting NATO funding couldn't be further from the truth, emphasizing that it's about making NATO stronger.
The proposed budget also includes a 56% cut in foreign aid, reducing it to $16.9 billion. This amount includes $2.1 billion for the creation of a new fund called the America First Opportunities Fund while significantly reducing funding for global health, humanitarian, and defense assistance programs.
The final budget proposal is expected to be presented to the US Congress later this month.
For more details on the budget proposal, reactions, and challenges surrounding its approval, you can read the article by RBC-Ukraine.
