Trump’s foreign aid cuts leave power vacuum in Africa for China, Russia to fill

US President Donald Trump’s sweeping cuts to global aid — including eliminating 83 percent of US Agency for International Development (USAID) programs — have triggered a rapid decline in America’s presence across Africa, dismantling key partnerships, endangering humanitarian efforts, and opening the door for China, Russia, and other authoritarian powers to expand their reach, as reported by the Washington Post.

The US has long been the world’s largest humanitarian donor, disbursing over $70 billion a year. But Trump officials now argue that such funding “harmed” American national interests, redirecting money away from global development to focus on domestic priorities. As a result, USAID staff have been recalled, and vital health, education, and civil society programs in Africa have been abruptly halted.

China and Russia move in

With Washington retreating, Beijing and Moscow have quickly stepped into the void. In countries like the Central African Republic, Russian officials have publicly handed over small shipments of medicine, generating outsized media coverage amplified by Wagner-affiliated networks. Meanwhile, Chinese-funded billboards, infrastructure projects, and state media campaigns have surged in visibility.

Though neither power offers aid at the scale or transparency of the U.S., both are using the moment to bolster their strategic presence. China’s “ChinaAid” brand and the Confucius Institute network promote soft power, while Russia has opened new language centres and launched aggressive disinformation campaigns. Moscow’s support often comes via Wagner mercenaries and covert media partnerships — with Russian operatives now linked to 80 influence campaigns across 22 African nations, according to the Africa Center for Strategic Studies.

Humanitarian impact and rising instability

The cuts come at a time of extreme fragility in the region. Armed conflict, climate disasters, and economic instability have left more than 300 million people in need of aid. From the Horn of Africa to the Sahel, wars, coups, and foreign interference are multiplying — and U.S. pullback threatens to worsen the crisis.

In Uganda, a US-backed civil society group documenting human rights abuses is already feeling the impact. “We were seeing some progress,” said Agather Atuhaire of Agora Discourse. “But we will go back into a decline.”

Civil society, women’s rights, and LGBTQ+ protections — areas unlikely to be supported by China, Russia, or the UAE — are expected to be the hardest hit. US military cooperation continues in some countries, but Trump has suspended security assistance in others, including Somalia and Benin.

Shuttered media and lost influence

Trump’s administration has also shut down Voice of America and other US-funded international media outlets, ending a decades-old effort to counter global propaganda. China’s CGTN and Russia’s Sputnik have quickly expanded their presence, offering state-friendly narratives and training local journalists.

Experts warn the cuts erode the US's soft power and moral authority — a point even some Republicans concede. “If we abandon the field to authoritarian countries, the next century could be a very dark place,” said former RNC chair James Gilmore.