The Korea Times
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's administration has instructed U.S. diplomats worldwide to lobby countries to back a "trade over aid" declaration at the United Nations, part of a broader effort to overhaul how Washington spends billions of dollars in foreign assistance, according to a cable reviewed by Reuters. In an April 15 dated cable, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered diplomats to deliver the message at the highest appropriate level in their respective countries and receive signatures by April 20 for the declaration. "This initiative is an opportunity for USUN to use the U.N. system to prompt America First values and create business opportunities for U.S. companies," the cable said, referring to the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. The document was first reported by the Washington Post. The message to diplomats is in line with a broader shift in U.S. foreign policy under Trump away from using aid as a tool for extending U.S. influence and toward a harder-edged focus on what the administration sees as core U.S. interests. Days after assuming office, Trump began upen
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