Summary

New Secretary of State Marco Rubio froze most foreign aid grants for three months, reportedly shocking State Department officials.

The freeze affects military aid to Ukraine, Jordan, and Taiwan, while exempting aid to Egypt and Israel.

Staff were instructed to halt nearly all existing foreign assistance programs immediately.

The move aligns with Trump’s pledge to negotiate an end to the Russia-Ukraine war, as Russia gains ground in the conflict.

Rubio’s decision has raised concerns about the broader implications for U.S. foreign policy and global alliances.

  • Etterra@discuss.online
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    14 hours ago

    Rubio: I’m not so little anymore, Daddy Trump says so!

    Eric: My father never calls me little. In fact he never calls me at all.

  • laranis@lemmy.zip
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    2 days ago

    Nobody gets to be shocked. Nobody gets to be surprised. This was all literally written down and circulated. I will “go nuclear” on any MF’er who has the gall to say to my face that they didn’t expect some bullshit the Trump administration pulls.

  • SatansMaggotyCumFart@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    The freeze affects military aid to Ukraine, Jordan, and Taiwan, while exempting aid to Egypt and Israel.

    I was told the genocide was going to stop.

    • SGG@lemmy.world
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      13 hours ago

      The Trump plan to end genocide is to hurry up and get it over with.

    • Pacattack57@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      Yes they are going to end all the wars by killing all Palestinians and Ukrainians. They were very clear on that.

    • OBJECTION!@lemmy.ml
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      1 day ago

      If someone claims something happened on the fediverse without providing a link, they’re lying.

      I have to say it so often it’s in my profile. I don’t believe I’ve ever been wrong.

      • boonhet@lemm.ee
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        15 hours ago

        I’m not going to provide a link, because half of the tankieverse was saying anyone voting Harris is voting genocide and you fucking know it. I of course was banned from the hexbear memes community of all places for suggesting that Trump IS going to be worse and that they all know it but don’t care because Trump is the more authoritarian, more pro-Putin choice.

        • OBJECTION!@lemmy.ml
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          14 hours ago

          Moving the goalposts. You don’t need to show that someone said, “Voting Harris is voting genocide” you need to find me someone who said, “If Trump wins, the genocide will stop,” which is the claim that was actually made by the person I replied to. Please refrain from that sort of rhetorical trickery.

          • boonhet@lemm.ee
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            14 hours ago

            Rhetorical trickery or hyperbole?

            Anyway, okay, I’ll move the goalposts exactly to where they should be set:

            There may or may not have been individuals claiming Trump’s better. I know there were, but nobody’s going to pay me what my time’s worth to look up 3 month old posts. So let’s say there weren’t. But there were a LOT of people saying that voting for Harris = voting for genocide, which in a two party system implies that you SHOULDN’T vote for Harris, which is functionally the same as voting for Trump.

            There were a lot of people using the whole genocide thing to help Trump win the election, they just weren’t mostly claiming Trump would stop it, they sorta… implied it very indirectly.

            • OBJECTION!@lemmy.ml
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              13 hours ago

              Hyperbole is a form or rhetorical trickery.

              Nothing else you said is relevant. I commented to point out a lie, or “hyperbole” if you want to call it that. If you want to debate something unrelated to that “hyperbole,” bring it up somewhere where it doesn’t serve as a deflection from a legitimate call-out.

              If you take this position of, “Using hyperbole to exaggerate the other side’s position to make it easier to attack is perfectly fine,” it doesn’t exactly give me confidence that you’re going to engage in anything resembling good faith. This sort of attitude is unfortunately pervasive around here, which is why I have to use that first line so frequently.

        • Lavitz@lemmings.world
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          2 days ago

          Would you like to buy some snake oil? 2 bottles for the low low price of $300. It cures cancer, makes your hair grow back, treats arthritis and even helps with sleep. It’s safe for adults and children too!!

            • Lavitz@lemmings.world
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              1 day ago

              And the comment section was a joke. Trump is a snake oil salesman and everyone’s buying it? i was making a joke not trying to be an asshole. I’m sorry I offended you

        • Loss@sh.itjust.works
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          2 days ago

          No, no you weren’t. You were explicitly told that allowing and encouraging genocide would end the Harris/Biden campaign; and that America actively participating in genocide would cause the genocide to spread domestically; and that Dems refusing to differentiate themselves on this topic would disincentive voters.

          You were not told, at any point, genocide would end with a trump admin. I get liberals tend to have that thing all right wingers have with their memory where you rewrite history to match your current beliefs, but you gotta try harder when you’re not in a right wing echo chamber like reddit or x.

          • SatansMaggotyCumFart@lemmy.world
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            2 days ago

            So the leftists got mad and made the genocide worse?

            It is totally a better choice then having liberals in power and working on getting better choices in the next election.

            • boonhet@lemm.ee
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              15 hours ago

              Tankies, not leftists.

              Fuck them, I know several leftists and none of us want tankies among our ranks. I’ve got friends who are straight up pro abolishment of private property and THEY don’t even support authoritarians like Putin or Trump.

            • FlowVoid@lemmy.world
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              2 days ago

              The important thing isn’t stopping genocide. The important thing is that leftists feel good about themselves.

            • Loss@sh.itjust.works
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              2 days ago

              The genocide is not worse. That’s not a thing. Genocide is genocide, it grows until it is stopped by force and the parties response are removed from power. Was Harris going to resign and start reforming the US to ensure foreign aid can never go to Israel as along as it’s a fascist ethnostate? No, her promise was to continue the genocide.

              I’m sorry you’ll now have to do something. I’m sorry you’ll now suffer the same way you condemned others to suffer. I’m sorry you didn’t do more and accepted genocide as a necessary evil like all Nazi civilians that disagreed with Hitler did.

              Maybe, just maybe, it’s be easier to admit you’re wrong and start fighting for the first time in your life.

              • frezik@midwest.social
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                21 hours ago

                The genocide is not worse. That’s not a thing.

                Yeah, that’s not true. Genocides can and do get ramped up and down.

              • SatansMaggotyCumFart@lemmy.world
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                2 days ago

                Admit I’m wrong and start working with the people who brought Trump into power to keep their hands clean?

                Sounds as effective as praying.

                • Loss@sh.itjust.works
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                  Well it’s that or join in on the genocide, or be a victim. Those are your three choices. We know what liberals chose to do in Nazi Germany after appointing Hitler against the evil socialists and communists; so I’m not too shocked you would join with Trump instead of admitting your mistakes and start actually working against him.

          • GBU_28@lemm.ee
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            2 days ago

            America is still participating. Who’s the president ?

              • GBU_28@lemm.ee
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                2 days ago

                I’ll admit my leading question was facetious.

                My point is that an action was taken against democrats on the topic of Gaza, and yet, the crisis and genocide continue. It was obvious this would happen if trump won, plus a slew of other impacts on at risk people around the world, beyond the admittedly unsatisfactory status quo of the Biden admin. So what societal good was done by not helping keep trump out?

                • OBJECTION!@lemmy.ml
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                  So what societal good was done by not helping keep trump out?

                  There are two possibilities, either we cost her the election or we didn’t. If we didn’t, we worked towards building an actual alternative party at zero cost. If we did, then it’s even better, because we demonstrated that our support is needed to win.

                  The Democratic party, particularly the version of it that you believe in enabling, is both fundamentally unacceptable and doomed to failure. The Democrats have chosen to be the party of the status quo, and the status quo is declining and will continue to decline and unless and until they embrace change and an actual vision of the future, they are going to fail. Even if it were possible to “buy time,” that’s not a valid goal, because time is against us, every minute that passes is a minute where the rich get richer, the poor get poorer, the environment is damaged, and the right grows stronger. Only a fundamental shift in the political sphere and the proliferation of leftist narratives and explanations for the decline can possibly stem the fascist tide.

                  The Democrats can either change into what they need to be or they can be replaced, these are the only two paths forward where I don’t end up in a camp. Voting third party furthers both of those goals, while unconditional loyalty to the party only encourages them to continue on a doomed path.

                • Loss@sh.itjust.works
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                  The societal good of destroying the US, since it’s clear the empire can no longer function without genocide. At that point, like all fascist empires, it needs to be destroyed.

                  The lesser evil option you’re advocating for was committed to genocide. There is no world where that’s the lesser evil human beings can accept

          • Crikeste@lemm.ee
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            2 days ago

            It’s funny to me, because these people criticizing us/me for “letting Trump win” are actually the ones sliding to the right. I guess liberals just aren’t used to believing in anything, so they see conviction as a failing because it’s too extreme for them, to stand for anything besides “nO tRuMp”. lol

  • Nightwingdragon@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    For the record, this is not Rubio’s decision. This is Trump’s decision. These people are all just blindly following Trump’s orders.

    • OutlierBlue
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      2 days ago

      No, their eyes are open. They are following his orders, but they know what they’re doing.

      • drthunder@midwest.social
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        14 hours ago

        Let’s dispense with the fiction that Marco Rubio doesn’t know what he’s doing, he knows exactly what he’s doing.

        (rubio said this about obama in 2016 please don’t hurt me)

      • Nightwingdragon@lemmy.world
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        2 days ago

        Oh, I’m not saying they aren’t. They absolutely know what they’re doing and are gleefully marching in lockstep. I’m just saying that Rubio himself didn’t come up with this decision. Trump did.

        • hitmyspot@aussie.zone
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          1 day ago

          Then you shouldn’t use the term blindly following orders. Willfully following orders is more appropriate.

          • Nightwingdragon@lemmy.world
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            1 day ago

            Could be both. Do you honestly think Rubio actually has half a clue what the fuck he’s doing with regards to foreign aid? He’s got no fucking idea. So he’s just gladly following whatever Trump tells him to do. He’s both willful and blind.

        • rjthyen@lemm.ee
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          2 days ago

          I don’t think Trump actually comes up with anything himself, that gives him too much credit. He has actual intelligent though evil people telling him what to do, mostly foreign debt holders he’s trying to repay politically instead of financially if I had to guess

  • Shardikprime@lemmy.world
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    21 hours ago

    I mean, at least it’s logically consistent

    If they expect to end the war by negotiating with both parties, they kind of need to force them to negotiate

    Putin already is straining his resources to the max with the war, he surely be glad for an easy end with lots of posturing

    Ukraine, surely will receive a moral blow, but if a NATO entry is also added into the deal with promised of this not happening again it also sweetens the deal

    People should celebrate DE ESCALATING conflict, not inflaming it

    If that comes with LESS TAXPAYERS money spent outside, isn’t that even better for the people?

    • valtia@lemmy.world
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      19 hours ago

      If they expect to end the war by negotiating with both parties, they kind of need to force them to negotiate

      removes biggest negotiating chip immediately

    • Railcar8095@lemm.ee
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      19 hours ago

      *Trump: freezes aid to invaded ukraine and keeps aid to invading Israel

      *Some POS: “I mean, at least it’s logically consistent”

      In that sense, you’re right. Probably even far right.

    • DreamlandLividity@lemmy.world
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      15 hours ago

      People should celebrate DE ESCALATING conflict, not inflaming it

      In theory, yes.

      I mean, at least it’s logically consistent

      No. Think about it. Would you really want to agree to peace as Russia, if every day you delay you gain more territory? Pausing support gives Russia every incentive to keep figting.

      Especially since pause in support can’t be easily undone. It takes about 3 months from US deciding to send heavy equipment to it arriving at the front lines. A lot longer for jets.

      So it is in Russias best interest to stall 3 months (pretend to negotiate) until Biden’s shipments all arrive and no more is on its way, then push as hard as they can for 3 months until the equipment sent to punish Russia arrives and then finally negotiate.

      Funny that the announced pause is for 3 months. I am sure that is a coincidence.

  • RandAlThor
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    2 days ago

    Most of US foreign aid goes to Ukraine, Israel and Egypt. Israel and Egypt are usually the traditional top aid recipients. So none of this is “aid” more like pay off money for geo political aims. Charity part of it is very small. And they are cutting it off. So pathetic.