NightOwl

“Most of the PA’s aid doesn’t come from the State Department. It comes from the CIA. Last I heard, they haven’t changed their policy on the PA,” a member of Fatah told MEE.

Tahani Mustafa, the International Crisis Group's senior Palestine analyst, told MEE it can be difficult to tally just how many American dollars are flowing to the PA’s security services because they are covertly funded by US intelligence, whose funding is likely not impacted by the aid freeze.

“State Department and Department of Defence funding are not the whole part of the PA security services funding,” Mustafa said.

“In fact, they are less than those that will have a critical impact on national security, that being funding from the CIA.”

There is already a serious problem in modern discourse with the term "independent media," a phrase commonly defined as any media outlet, no matter how big an empire it is, that is not owned or funded by the state (as if that is the only form of dependence or control to which media is subject). But even at this extremely low bar, all these outlets fail. Indeed, Weimers' warning underlines the fact that none of them are independent in any meaningful way. They are, in fact, completely dependent on USAID for their very existence.

Not only that, but some USAID-backed journalists candidly admit that their funding dictates their output and what stories they do and do not cover. Leila Bicakcic, CEO of Center for Investigative Reporting (a USAID-supported Bosnian organization), admitted, on camera, that "If you are funded by the U.S. government, there are certain topics that you would simply not go after, because the U.S. government has its interests that are above all others."

While USAID specifically targets foreign audiences, much of its messaging comes back to America, as those foreign outlets are used as credible, independent, and reliable sources for newspapers or cable news networks to cite. Thus, its bankrolling of foreign media ends up flooding domestic audiences with pro-U.S. messaging as well.

Diplomats and analysts have been left guessing whether Trump truly covets the war-ravaged Gaza Strip or was threatening a takeover to extract concessions from Arab states. Trump's secretary of state, Marco Rubio, suggested it was the latter and that Arab states should make a counteroffer.

With the Egyptian plan gaining momentum, it appears Trump has been swayed.

During a visit to Israel on Monday, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said there was "very little appetite" for the US to take over Gaza "in any way, shape or form".

Ahead of the gatherings, diplomats and officials believe that Germany is unlikely to join any European peacekeeping efforts that could follow a ceasefire in Ukraine.

Poland has ruled itself out of such a mission because Warsaw's troops are committed to protecting Nato's eastern flank.

Both Hungary and Slovakia are also highly unlikely to join given their governments' close ties with the Kremlin.

Many European nations, such as Spain, Italy and Norway, have remained on the fence, leaving some capitals despondent over the possibility of a peacekeeping operation.

"The whole discussion is moot without both Germany and Poland's participation," a diplomatic source said.

Many of Europe's militaries have been significantly depleted since the end of the Cold War.

Lord Dannatt, who was the Army's chief of the general staff between 2006 and 2009, said that Britain does not have the forces or equipment "to put a large force on to the ground for an extended period of time".

Sir Ben Wallace, the former defence secretary, has previously told The Telegraph that the British military would be unable to stand by its previous commitments as well as send troops to Ukraine.

"We not only listened, but also heard each other," Lavrov. "And I have reason to believe that the American side has started to better understand our position, which we have once again outlined in detail, using specific examples, based on President Putin's repeated speeches."

The meeting marked the most extensive contact between the two countries since Moscow's Feb. 24, 2022, invasion. Lavrov and then-U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken talked briefly on the sidelines of a G-20 meeting in India nearly two years ago, but tensions remained high.

The revelation raises the prospect of further damaging cuts in so-called unprotected departments that were also hit in the 2010s by the austerity policies pursued by successive Conservative-led governments. Reductions in day-to-day spending, which excludes capital investment, would leave departments that have already been squeezed hardest facing further pain. Those at risk include Local Government, Culture, Justice, the Home Office, Environment, Energy, and Work and Pensions.