The US State Department is expected to propose an unprecedented reduction in Washington’s diplomatic reach, with multiple news outlets reporting on Tuesday that it will shutter programs and embassies worldwide to slash the budget by almost 50 per cent.
The proposals, contained in an internal departmental memo and reportedly under serious discussion by senior officials, would eliminate almost all funding for international organisations, including the United Nations and NATO.
The document earmarks 10 embassies and 17 consulates for closure, including missions in Eritrea, Luxembourg, South Sudan, and Malta, according to the political outlet Punchbowl News.
Five consulates earmarked for closure are located in France, while two are in Germany, according to Punchbowl. The list also includes missions in Scotland and Italy.
In Canada, US consulates in Montreal and Halifax would be downsized to “provide ‘last-mile’ diplomacy with minimal local support,” the website reported, citing the document.
Financial support for international peacekeeping would be curtailed, along with funding for educational and cultural exchanges, such as the Fulbright Program, one of the most prestigious U.S. scholarships.
The plan comes as President Donald Trump presses a broader assault on government spending and a scaling back of America’s leading role on the international stage.
State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce downplayed the reports, telling journalists, “There is no final plan, final budget, or final dynamic.”
“That is up to the White House and the president of the United States as they continue to work on their budget plan and what they will submit to Congress,” Bruce said Tuesday.
