Kallas reveals EU plans to replace USAID in third world countries
2 Min Read
The European Union is preparing to partially fill the void left by the Trump administration’s withdrawal of USAID from developing countries.
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European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas listens to a question during a press conference after talks with Serbia's top officials in Belgrade, Serbia, on May 22, 2025 (AP)
The European Union is preparing to step in and at least partially fill the gap left by the withdrawal of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) from developing countries, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said ahead of a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs (Development) Council.
"We are going to discuss the impacts of USAID’s withdrawal from the development aid and where we can come in," Kallas noted.
"We can’t fill the void that the US is leaving behind totally but we are focusing on the priorities that we have, and we will discuss this," she emphasized, adding that "of course, it will be our neighborhood, it will also be democracy and media freedom; and it will be priorities like human rights."
Wider context
In February, Trump's administration announced that all directly hired USAID employees will be placed on administrative leave and recalled from overseas by February 7, 2025, affecting thousands of staff globally. However, as per the order, exceptions would be made for critical roles and programs, and it was said at the time that a return plan was being coordinated with the State Department.
USAID, the world’s largest aid donor, employed over 10,000 people and accounted for 42% of all UN-tracked humanitarian aid in 2024.
Upon taking office in January, President Donald Trump signed an executive order freezing US foreign aid for 90 days. This was followed by significant cuts to various USAID programs, though some vital humanitarian aid was exempted.
The freeze has shocked and dismayed those at the independent agency, which was established by an act of Congress in 1961.
