US redirects $52 million in military aid intended partly for Slovakia

The United States redirected $52 million in military assistance intended partly for Slovakia to Colombia, Ecuador, Panama and Peru, according to reports published on Oct 3. The money, drawn from unused Foreign Military Financing resources, had previously been designated for Slovakia, North Macedonia, Tunisia and Iraq.¹³⁴⁵

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Washington shifts the funds

The Washington Post first reported the planned change, citing three US officials who were not identified. The State Department subsequently confirmed the redirection and said it had notified Congress of the plan in mid-September. The Trump administration later told Congress that it would proceed despite an effort by two Democratic lawmakers to suspend the transfer.¹³⁴⁵

State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the money would reinforce US security relationships with Colombia, Ecuador, Panama and Peru while restricting the military influence of US adversaries in the region. The department said it would continue directing resources towards security partners able to act immediately and towards programmes aligned with current national-security priorities.¹³⁴⁵

The department argued that the funds could be used more effectively in Latin America under the Trump administration’s foreign-policy approach, which places greater emphasis on the Western Hemisphere. It also said Europe and the Middle East remained US national-security priorities and continued to have substantial Foreign Military Financing resources available.¹²³⁴

STVR reported that the redirected assistance was intended to support efforts against narcoterrorism and help secure the Panama Canal. That account appeared in one source in the dossier and was not independently confirmed by the other reports.²

Lawmakers challenge the transfer

Jeanne Shaheen, a Democratic senator, and Gregory Meeks, a Democratic congressman, initiated a suspension of the transfer. In a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, they said the administration’s decision to proceed violated a congressional measure and argued that the executive branch did not have unlimited authority to move the money to unrelated priorities or different countries.¹²³⁴

Congress approved the assistance in 2022 through legislation supporting Ukraine. The funding for Slovakia and North Macedonia was primarily intended for countries affected by the war in Ukraine. Both chambers had allocated resources to support Ukraine and European allies following the Russian invasion, according to the lawmakers’ account reported by STVR.¹²³⁴

The dispute therefore concerns both the regional destination of the assistance and the administration’s authority to repurpose money approved by Congress. The State Department presents the move as a reassessment of where unused financing can best advance current security policy, while Shaheen and Meeks contend that the original congressional purpose remains binding.¹²³⁴