Battle Lines cover image

Battle Lines

Musk and Trump’s war on ‘Marxist’ foreign aid

Feb 10, 2025
35:17

USAID is dead. From Ukraine to Vietnam, the knock-on effect from Donald Trump and Elon Musk's dramatic shuttering of one of the largest aid agencies in the world is being felt around the world. Why has it been shuttered and what does it mean for American soft power?


Roland Oliphant speaks to Sera Koulabdara, CEO of Legacies of War, about the halt of de-mining work in southeast Asia and why it is essential for American influence in China's backyard. 


Plus he talks to The Telegraph’s senior foreign correspondent Memphis Barker about why Kyiv is especially worried and whether this might prompt a rethink of the international aid system.


Contact us with feedback or ideas:

battlelines@telegraph.co.uk 

@venetiarainey

@RolandOliphant


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