The White House has curtailed highly valued training and educational programs with the Pakistani military as part of a decision to suspend U.S. security assistance to the country, according to an article published on Friday by Reuters.
The Trump administration earlier this year decided to withhold military aid to Pakistan in an effort to pressure the country to ramp up its fight against Islamic militants. The training and educational programs for Pakistani officers that are being cut have been a key aspect of the decades-long bilateral relationship.
{mosads}While the Pentagon and Pakistani military declined to publicly comment on the development to Reuters, unnamed officials are reportedly worried that the move could undermine the relationship and push Pakistan to seek other foreign partners, including U.S. adversaries China and Russia, for military training.
President Trump in January criticized Pakistan for what he characterized as coziness with militants in Afghanistan.
“The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!” he said in his first tweet of 2018.