On July 1, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will officially stop implementing foreign aid programs. This was announced by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a written statement, emphasizing that the relevant initiatives will henceforth be overseen by the State Department.

“As of July 1, the U.S. Agency for International Development will officially cease providing overseas aid,” the statement reads. Programs that are “consistent with the administration's course of action and advance American interests will be within the State Department's agency.” Rubio said the State Department will ensure these programs are implemented “with greater accountability and efficiency, and in a more thoughtful manner.”

The secretary of state emphasized that U.S. foreign policy must be consistent with the principle of “America First.” “America's longstanding commitments to provide vital humanitarian assistance and promote economic development must be consistent with the principle of ‘America First’ in foreign policy,” he said. At the same time, Rubio expressed his belief that taxpayer funds should not be spent to “fund failed governments in faraway countries.” In the future, he added, “our assistance will be targeted and time-limited.” 

In his criticism of USAID, Rubio said that for years the agency “had an almost inexhaustible budget of taxpayer money” but “failed to achieve meaningful results after the Cold War.” He also noted that “development goals were rarely achieved, instability was often exacerbated, and anti-American sentiment only grew.” Countries that have received significant amounts of U.S. aid, he said, “have not usually responded in a mirror-like fashion.” 

The actual suspension of the agency took place as early as February 3. This decision, as it is specified, was made on the initiative of entrepreneur Elon Musk, who until recently supervised the agency to improve the efficiency of federal management. His duties included reducing bureaucracy, optimizing government spending and fighting the bloated apparatus. Despite its formal status as an independent agency, USAID actually functions within the State Department.