Retired US military officers warn against Trump’s proposed foreign aid cuts

A file photo of the US State Department

More than 120 retired US military officers have warned Congress about President Donald Trump’s proposed budget cuts for diplomacy and foreign aid in order to increase the military budget.

Trump is expected to direct federal agencies on Monday to put together the outlines of a budget blueprint that will include deep cuts in domestic spending and foreign aid in order to pay for the increased military budget.

A budget official in the Trump administration said Monday that the US president would seek to boost military spending by $54 billion and cut the same amount from non-military spending, including a large reduction in foreign aid.

In a letter sent on Monday to several senior lawmakers in both chambers of Congress, the retired generals and admirals wrote that "elevating and strengthening diplomacy and development alongside defense are critical to keeping America safe."

"We know from our service in uniform that many of the crises our nation faces do not have military solutions alone," they wrote.

“We urge you to ensure that resources for the International Affairs budget keep pace with the growing global threats and opportunities we face,” the letter concluded.

US President Donald Trump speaks to members of the National Governors Association and his administration at the White House February 27, 2017 in Washington, DC. (AFP photo)

The letter was organized by the US Global Leadership Coalition and signed by some of the most prominent US military officers to serve in recent decades.

The US Global Leadership Coalition, which published the letter online on Monday, is a nonprofit organization that promotes increased spending in diplomacy and foreign aid.

During a meeting on Monday with dozens of state governors at the White House, Trump promised a "historic" increase in the Pentagon budget to rebuild America’s "depleted military."

In a wide-ranging speech on Friday at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) outside Washington, Trump pledged a "massive” increase in military spending, saying he will implement “the greatest military build-up in American history.”

US military spending stands at approximately $600 billion annually. By contrast, the United States spends about $54 billion per year on its "International Affairs" budget, which includes the State Department and foreign assistance programs.