Trump cuts to foreign aid looms large at UN conference on international development

Nations gather in Seville for a UN-led conference to discuss international development on Monday, with the glaring exception of the US, which snubbed the event after effecting drastic cuts to its funding for foreign aid. The US’ withdrawal from international development initiatives has emboldened countries such as France, the UK, and Germany to cut their own foreign aid budget in favor of defence spending, severely crippling those dependent on international development programs: “Financing is the engine of development, and right now, that engine is choking,” said UN head António Guterres.