Media reports Trump asking Congress to cut funding for Ukrainian painters, Balkan gays

(MENAFN) The Trump administration has proposed canceling several USAID-funded programs, including support for Ukrainian women’s art and LGBTQ organizations in the western Balkans, according to the New York Post. A White House request to Congress seeks to rescind $3.2 billion allocated to USAID, an agency the administration aims to dismantle.

Among the targeted cuts are $1.5 million for promoting Ukrainian women’s artwork, $3.9 million for LGBTQ support in the Balkans, and $24.6 million for climate resilience projects in Honduras. This move follows a recent court ruling that lifted an injunction, allowing the administration’s budget reduction plans to proceed.

The Trump administration has criticized USAID for advancing what it calls “woke” initiatives instead of prioritizing U.S. national interests. Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared an end to “government-sanctioned inefficiency” when his department took over the agency’s responsibilities in July. Trump initially ordered the crackdown on USAID in January, labeling its leadership as “radical lunatics.”

Other programs marked for elimination include a “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion musical” in Ireland, a “transgender opera” in Peru, personalized contraceptives for developing countries, and Afghan agricultural projects that allegedly contributed to illegal drug production.

Outside critics often accuse USAID of acting as a tool for covert regime change aligned with U.S. foreign policy objectives.

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