Developing countries' vulnerabilities to the changes of US foreign aid policy under the second Trump administration

The dismantling of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) by the second Trump administration in 2025 marked a significant shift in US foreign policy. US national interests were prioritised over multilateral development and humanitarian aid, with the decision described by the Trump administration as an alignment of aid with US values. The European Union (EU) and its Member States cannot fully offset these cuts, which will most dramatically affect funding for global health, food security and crisis response. In the past, US and EU approaches to aid targeted different ends: while the EU has focused on sustainable development and peace building, the US emphasised crisis-driven aid. Potential consequences of the US cuts include increased migration, disease proliferation and geopolitical shifts, as China and Russia expand their influence.