The US Department of State rejected the provisions of the budget draft prepared by the White House Office of Management and Budget, which proposed to completely stop funding for NATO by the United States.
This was reported by NBC News with reference to the comments of Department of State’s spokeswoman Tammy Bruce.
The department emphasized that the final decision on the federal budget remains with President Donald Trump, who must submit his project to Congress. "No plan is final until the President presents a full version of the budget," Bruce said.
She also commented on the initiative to withdraw support for the Alliance: "I am really concerned about the word 'eliminate'," the spokeswoman noted, adding that she recently visited NATO headquarters along with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. "There, the Secretary of State reaffirmed our full commitment to NATO, as did the President of the United States," she emphasized.
Bruce added that the proposal to end NATO funding "couldn't be further from the truth" and emphasized: "This is about making NATO stronger."
The budget draft prepared by the White House provides for large-scale cuts: the budget of the Department of State and USAID should be reduced by almost half - to USD 28.4 billion. US contributions to more than 20 international organizations are proposed to be reduced by 89% - from USD 1.4 billion to USD 169 million. Separately, the document mentions "complete cancellation of funding" for NATO and the UN.
The plan also provides for a reduction in foreign aid to foreign countries by 56% - to USD 16.9 billion. This amount includes the creation of a new instrument - the "America First Opportunity Fund" - in the amount of USD 2.1 billion. At the same time, a significant reduction in spending on global health, humanitarian and defense assistance programs is proposed.
The US President plans to submit the final version of the budget to Congress by the end of April.
As a reminder, the White House has proposed to the US Department of State to suspend membership fees to NATO and the UN.
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