Trump administration freezes most US foreign aid programs for review
The Donald Trump administration has issued a freeze on new funding for almost all US foreign aid schemes.
In the hours after his inauguration on Monday, President Trump issued a slew of executive orders, including a 90-day pause in US-funded global projects until their efficiency can be reviewed.
The directive, issued by US Secretary of State Mark Rubio, excludes sending food and military aid to Israel.
Rubio’s office, however, is yet to confirm if the freeze includes American aid sent to Ukraine to support their defence against Russia.
Abby Maxman, head of Oxfam America warned the move "could have life or death consequences” across the globe.
"By suspending foreign development assistance, the Trump administration is threatening the lives and futures of communities in crisis, and abandoning the United States’ long-held bipartisan approach to foreign assistance which supports people based on need, regardless of politics," she said.
The review will ensure all aid sent to American allies is "aligned with President Trump’s foreign policy agenda,” a message sent to US embassies read.
This decision comes after Vladimir Putin said he is ready to meet with Donald Trump to discuss the Ukraine war.
The Russian president has said it would be "better" to meet Trump, after the newly-inaugurated US president called for him to end the war and threatened further sanctions.
Putin said: "Most likely, it would be better for us to meet, based on the realities of today, to talk calmly on all those areas that are of interest to both the United States and Russia.
"We are ready. But, I repeat, this primarily, of course, depends on the decisions and choices of the current American administration."
Putin also repeated Trump’s false claim of election fraud against him in 2020, and said that he would not have invaded if the Republican had been in power in 2022.
He said: "I cannot but agree with him that if he had been president and his victory had not been stolen from him in 2020, there might not have been the crisis in Ukraine that arose in 2022."
On Wednesday Trump issued Putin with an ultimatum over ending the war.
The president, who came to power again on Monday, said he loved the Russian people - but that he would put "high levels of taxes, tariffs and sanctions" on products coming into the US from Russia.
Russia is already under severe sanctions from the US, including energy import bans, financial punishments and export restrictions.
Mr Trump is known to be seeking to end the war in Ukraine, which began nearly three years ago when Russia invaded.
Mr Trump said on his Truth Social website: "I’m not looking to hurt Russia."I love the Russian people, and always had a very good relationship with President Putin."
"All of that being said, I’m going to do Russia, whose economy is failing, and President Putin, a very big favour," he said.
"Settle now, and stop this ridiculous war," he wrote, adding that the war is "only going to get worse".
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