The U.S. Cancels Grant Allocated to Uzbekistan

Secretary of State Rubio canceled $215 million in foreign aid to various countries. Uzbekistan is among the countries affected, according to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

“Today, Secretary Rubio canceled 139 'ineffective' grants worth $215 million, continuing to closely monitor the State Department's foreign aid spending,” DOGE stated.

In addition to Uzbekistan, grants for projects in Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Sri Lanka, the United Kingdom, Moldova, Brazil, Belarus, Bulgaria, Mauritania, Lebanon, and Tunisia have also been halted. In Europe, a $1.7 million project titled “Independent Media for Peace and Democracy” is also being downsized.

One of the affected projects in Belarus was a $2.4 million initiative called “Countering Disinformation with Creative Content.” In Kyrgyzstan, $750,000 was to be allocated for a project titled “Ensuring Resilience and Adaptability of Civil Society.”

The head of the U.S. Government Efficiency Department (DOGE) is Elon Musk. He is engaged in reducing excessive regulations, cutting unnecessary expenditures, and reorganizing federal agencies.

The Trump administration is planning to cut the State Department’s budget nearly in half. The White House is proposing to allocate $28.4 billion for the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which is $27 billion—or 48%—less than what was approved by Congress for the 2025 fiscal year.

Funding for international organizations is expected to be reduced even more—by nearly 90%. It is planned to completely halt financing for peacekeeping operations carried out by the UN, NATO, and 20 other international institutions. However, the budget includes maintaining $5.1 billion in grants for military development for key allies such as Israel and Egypt.

The U.S. may also cut humanitarian aid spending by 54%, and reduce funding for global healthcare systems by 55%.