The U.S. State Department has canceled 139 grants totaling $214 million that were intended for foreign projects promoting media, diversity, equality, and inclusion across several countries, including Moldova, Belarus, Armenia, and Uzbekistan.
This decision, approved by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on April 14, was reported on Tuesday, April 15, by The Washington Free Beacon. The cuts are set to take effect starting April 15.
The canceled grants were directed at various initiatives, such as promoting “civil engagement” in Uzbekistan, enhancing “news editorial resilience” in Moldova, combating “disinformation” in Belarus, and fostering “environmental resilience” in Armenia. Additionally, grants for “media diversity” in the United Kingdom have also been canceled.
The State Department’s decision follows a review of U.S. foreign aid programs that was initiated in late February. A subsequent investigation by the Department of Government Effectiveness (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, identified additional grants for suspension. This review led to a substantial increase in the number of grants to be blocked.
According to the Washington Free Beacon, many of the affected programs were funded by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL) within the State Department. Internal memos from the department describe these programs as wasteful and out of alignment with the current administration’s priorities.
“These programs focus on wasteful initiatives in the DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) sphere, they fund non-governmental organizations whose activities do not align with the priorities of the administration, and they waste taxpayers’ money,” the memo reads.
