Signal US withdraws from international organisations and cuts foreign aid

Summary

Washington has weakened its own diplomatic instruments by targeting even allies with reciprocal tariffs and secondary sanctions. Citing conflicts with its America First foreign policy, it announced withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement, the UN Human Rights Council, the World Health Organization and UNESCO. It also halted funding for the Palestinian refugee relief agency, cut other foreign aid and pushed through the closure of USAID by executive order. The report places these moves within a broader US retreat from multilateral institutions. It argues that the resulting vacuum is being filled by China, while the costs fall more heavily on America's closest allies than on China itself.