4 American officials familiar with – Monday – said that the administration of US President Donald Trump wants to reduce the budget of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to half by more than $ 30 billion in the fiscal year 2026, a tremendous reduction that may lead to the closure of nearly 30 diplomatic missions, as well as a reduction in foreign aid by about 75%.
Reuters quoted the sources as saying that the cuts were mentioned in the response of the budget office in the White House – the Office of Administration and Budget – to the financing requests submitted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the next fiscal year, which begins on the first of October.
According to a separate internal memorandum seen by Reuters, the administration is considering a recommendation to close at least 27 diplomatic missions, most of them in Africa and Europe, as part of the plan that has not yet been completed, 10 of these missions, embassies, and the rest.
According to Reuters, this document raises ideas on how to shift towards a less expensive operating model in at least 4 other external missions.
Trump signed a decree last January – the day when he returned to the White House – he orders to freeze US foreign aid for a period of 90 days until a full review is made.
