State Department officials were reportedly "shocked" as new Secretary of State Marco Rubio froze most foreign aid grants — and the order appears to include military aid to Ukraine.
Rubio issued the new guidance Friday, Politico reported, freezing spending on most foreign aid grants for three months.
"The order, which shocked State Department officials, appears to apply to funding for military assistance to Ukraine, the report said.
Additionally, department staffers must issue stop-work orders on nearly all existing foreign assistance awards, effective immediately according to the report. A current official and two former officials told the outlet the freeze appears to pause aid to Ukraine, Jordan and Taiwan.
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“State just totally went nuclear on foreign assistance,” a State Department official who was not named told the outlet.
The order includes exceptions for military aid to Egypt and Israel, according to Politico.
The pause on aid comes as Trump promises to negotiate a deal to end the war. He has been openly critical of both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
It also comes as Russia gains ground more quickly than at any time since launching the invasion in early 2022.
