US to end military funding for some nations bordering Russia — FT

The United States will phase out some funding programs for the armies of countries bordering Russia, the Financial Times noted, Report informs via TASS.

According to it, the Pentagon informed European diplomats last week that the United States would no longer fund training and equipment of the armed forces of Eastern European countries.

According to the newspaper, such programs must be approved by the US Congress, but the administration of President Donald Trump has not requested funds to replenish them. The current programs are budgeted until the end of September 2026.

"This action has been coordinated with European countries in line with the executive order and the president's long-standing emphasis on ensuring Europe takes more responsibility for its own defence," the newspaper quoted an unnamed American official as saying.

The Financial Times indicated that hundreds of millions of dollars will not reach the countries bordering Russia.

From 2018 to 2022, Europe received about 29% of the $1.6 billion in funds allocated by the United States to train and equip the national security forces of other countries. The key recipients were Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

As one European source told the newspaper, with such actions Washington hopes to encourage European countries to be more actively involved in ensuring their own security.