QThe US is redirecting $52 million in military financing from Slovakia, North Macedonia, Tunisia and Iraq to Panama, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia.
The Trump administration says the shift will strengthen security cooperation in the Western Hemisphere, particularly in counternarcotics efforts and Panama Canal security.
The reallocation does not end US military financing for the four countries losing funds, although the remaining amounts were not immediately clear.
The Trump administration is shifting $52 million in military financing from Slovakia, North Macedonia, Tunisia and Iraq to Panama, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia as it prioritises the Western Hemisphere.
There is a clear recent pattern of Washington putting greater emphasis on the Western Hemisphere. For example, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced plans this month to seek $45 million in additional security funding for Ecuador, alongside additional equipment, as part of expanded cooperation against drug trafficking. Peru has also joined the US-led “Shield of the Americas” anti-drug coalition.
The move involves only specific military assistance being withdrawn or redirected, rather than a wholesale end to US security commitments. This is particularly important because US-German defence cooperation was still being deepened on September 15, including a planned German purchase of Tomahawk missiles.
Why Washington Is Focusing On The Western Hemisphere
As the Trump administration puts greater emphasis on the Western Hemisphere, the State Department notified Congress on Tuesday that the funds would be reprogrammed. The move comes as Washington seeks to strengthen security cooperation with governments in Central and South America, with a focus on combating drug trafficking and illegal immigration, the Associated Press reported.
The funding comes through the US foreign military financing programme, which allows recipient countries to use American taxpayer-funded assistance to purchase military equipment from US defence contractors. The State Department said the money would help “combat narcoterrorism in our backyard” and support efforts to secure the Panama Canal.
The administration also said the shift would help prevent adversaries from establishing “strategic footholds” in the Western Hemisphere, an apparent reference to China's growing presence in Latin America.
What The Shift Means For US Security Policy
The reallocation does not mean US military assistance to Slovakia, North Macedonia, Tunisia and Iraq will end altogether, although the exact amount of funding they will continue to receive was not immediately clear. Slovakia and North Macedonia are both NATO members.
The shift comes amid Trump's repeated criticism of NATO allies over defence spending and his broader push to reduce the US role in European security.
The administration is also focusing on issues including drug trafficking, border security and the Panama Canal, while seeking closer ties with governments whose policies align with Trump's broader agenda.
For Washington, the reallocation ties military assistance more closely to priorities in its own hemisphere, including drug interdiction, Panama Canal security and countering China's expanding influence in Latin America, according to AP.
Meanwhile, Trump and Rubio have been strengthening ties with Colombia and that Rubio visited President Abelardo de la Espriella.
