The US State Department is compiling a list of additional exemptions to the foreign aid freeze for Ukraine that could give the country access to certain economic and security assistance that is currently suspended.
Politico writes about this, citing sources.
According to media sources, these exceptions would go beyond those that Secretary of State Marco Rubio has authorized to be provided worldwide for "vital" aid.
According to a document seen by Politico, the exemptions apply to a wide variety of programs, from general economic support to landmine clearance, counternarcotics, and health programs.
It is not yet known whether an exception will be made for foreign military funding, which is overseen by the State Department.
As Politico points out, there is no certainty that additional aid to Ukraine will reach Kyiv even with the new exemptions. However, from a political perspective, the effort to expand exemptions for Ukraine hints at disagreements within the Trump team over how to deal with Kyiv.
- After Donald Trump became the US president, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was launched in Washington under the leadership of billionaire Elon Musk. This structure should increase the efficiency of the American government in a year and a half. As part of the governmentʼs spending cuts, the US government, among other things, suspended aid programs to other countries and offered federal officials the opportunity to resign and receive compensation.
- On February 20, it became known that the US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth instructed to reduce the defense budget by 8% annually. At the same time, these cuts contain a number of exceptions — in particular, they should not affect operations on the southern US border and the modernization of nuclear weapons.
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