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US Aid Suspension Likely to Freeze Weapons Funding for Ukraine: Media

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - US President Donald Trump's executive order to halt foreign aid is likely to freeze funding intended for the purchase of American weapons by Ukraine and Taiwan, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Sputnik
Trump signed the executive order on Monday halting foreign development aid for 90 days to assess whether these programs align with US foreign policy objectives.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio immediately paused all foreign assistance funded by or through the State Department.
The State Department's role in overseeing arms transfers is expected to cause it to freeze funding allocated to Taiwan and Ukraine for the purchase of American weaponry, WSJ reported on Monday, adding that the US was not the only source of military equipment for both nations.
The Financial Times reported earlier this week, citing documents and sources, that US diplomats had asked the State Department to exclude Ukraine-related programs from the 90-day suspension of foreign aid.
Meanwhile, more than 50 high-ranking officials of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) were placed on administrative leave after Trump halted foreign aid for review this week, NBC News reported on Tuesday.
Russia believes that arms supplies to Ukraine hinder the settlement process. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted that any shipments containing weapons for Ukraine would be a legitimate target for Russia. According to him, the United States and NATO are directly involved in the conflict by supplying weapons and training Ukrainian personnel.
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