
This audio is created with AI assistance U.S. diplomats are urgently seeking an exemption for Ukraine-related programs from a 90-day foreign aid freeze imposed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to documents reviewed by the Financial Times (FT) and sources familiar with the situation. The sweeping directive, which took immediate effect, also includes "stop work" orders on existing projects. Senior diplomats in the State Department’s Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs requested a full waiver to exclude U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) operations in Ukraine, citing national security...