Situation:
On March 23, 2020, the Department of State (DOS) announced the United States of America was cutting aid to the Government of Afghanistan by nearly $1 billion as it reassessed the level of support needed for the war-torn country. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also announced that the department intends to conduct a review of all existing projects and deployments currently taking place or being planned. This comes in the wake of the Washington Post's reporting on the Afghanistan Papers and Afghanistan's inability to form a government following elections.
Meaning:
The cut to aid will reduce the Afghan Governments ability to combat the Taliban, poverty, and COVID-19. However, it will force Ashraf Ghani to clamp down on the rampant corruption that has been one of the main complaints of coalition forces since the entrance of NATO forces to the Afghan Civil War.