The Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives has proposed drastic cuts to foreign aid and United Nations funding in a 2025 budget bill that it passed last week, including ending funding to Ukraine. While the bill is unlikely to make it through the Democratic-led Senate, the House bill is something of a blueprint for the months ahead and how a new Donald Trump administration would approach foreign policy.

On the topic of Republicans, we reported that Trump is distancing himself from the conservative Heritage Foundation's Project 2025. He has proposed a new platform — titled “America First: A Return to Common Sense” — that was approved during a vote of the Republican National Committee on Monday. While there was no mention of foreign aid, we ponder what his leadership would mean for it.

Across the pond, Anneliese Dodds was appointed as the United Kingdom’s minister of state for development, as well as minister of state for women and equalities, following Labour’s victory in the United Kingdom general election. Her appointment raises a lot of questions about the future of U.K. aid as confusion remains over her job share.

For the latest episode of our podcast series, Devex President and Editor-in-Chief Raj Kumar sits down with Managing Editor Anna Gawel and Global Development Reporter Elissa Miolene to discuss these stories, and others, from the past week.

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