Support The Moscow Times!

U.S. Allots Less to Former Soviet States

WASHINGTON -- U.S. President Bill Clinton's administration is cutting its 1995 foreign aid request to $7.45 billion, down from $8.1 billion granted by Congress for this year, with a large decrease in aid to former Soviet states.


The request is for economic assistance to be distributed by the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, in the U.S. government's fiscal year beginning Oct. 1. An additional $2.1 billion is being sought for the World Bank and other multilateral organizations that make development loans.


In the request, aid to the republics of the ex-Soviet Union is down sharply: $900 million instead of $1.2 billion. Larger sums discussed for Russia, Ukraine and others are not included.


For Eastern European countries formerly under Communist rule the administration is asking for $380 million, down from $598 million.


The military segment of the 1995 aid request is for $3.2 billion, compared with $2.5 million for this year.


USAID figures made available Monday showed the biggest sums as usual being sought for Israel and Egypt.


The administration is asking $1.8 billion in military aid and $1.2 billion in economic aid for Israel. For Egypt, the figures are $1.3 billion and $817 million.


The Clinton administration is proposing a restructuring of economic aid, which has been based on a law 33 years old. It plans to close 21 of its missions by 1996 and is asking Congress to simplify the goals of its spending.


"The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, based largely on Cold War priorities, is no longer a suitable framework for foreign policy objectives," USAID said in a statement last week.


Some of the larger requests are for Latin America: $151 million for Peru, up from $147 million this year, and $134 million for Bolivia, from $113 million. In Europe, the administration wants $107 million for Turkey, down from $121 million. For Greece the administration is asking $50 million, the same as last year.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more