The amount of aid affected by the order is unclear since Congress has already appropriated funds for many programs, and those funds must be spent.
According to the order, the “foreign aid industry and bureaucracy are not aligned with American interests and in many cases antithetical to American values” and “serve to destabilize world peace by promoting ideas in foreign countries that are directly inverse to harmonious and stable relations internal to and among countries.”
“No further United States foreign assistance shall be disbursed in a manner that is not fully aligned with the foreign policy of the President of the United States,” Trump said, authorizing Secretary of State Marco Rubio or his designee, in consultation with the Office of Management and Budget, to make decisions about aid.
Trump has repeatedly criticized the amount of aid given to Ukraine to bolster its defenses against Russian aggression.
The last official report on foreign aid from the Joe Biden administration dates back to mid-December and fiscal year 2023. It shows that $68 billion was allocated for overseas programs ranging from disaster relief to health care and pro-democracy initiatives in 204 countries and regions.
Some of the largest recipients of U.S. aid - Israel ($3.3 billion a year), Egypt ($1.5 billion a year), and Jordan ($1.7 billion a year) - are unlikely to see significant cuts because they are long-term recipients of aid governed by treaty obligations.
Historically, Republican administrations have targeted funding for UN agencies, including peacekeeping, human rights, and refugee agencies, with the goal of reducing or eliminating them.
On Jan. 9, the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden announced a substantial and final military aid package for Ukraine during Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's visit to Germany to attend Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting.