Ireland's Neil Richmond warns EU aid cuts favor Russia and China

Irish Minister for International Development Neil Richmond has warned that reducing European Union development aid could create a vacuum filled by Russia and China, potentially leading to increased migration toward Europe. Speaking ahead of an EU development ministers' meeting in Dublin, Richmond noted that a lack of access to healthcare and crumbling infrastructure due to budget cuts forces populations to relocate.

Richmond reported a global decline in development cooperation of over 23 percent in the past year, attributed to funding cuts from both the United States and several EU member states. He highlighted that Ireland and Spain are the only two EU nations to have increased their development budgets.

The 'Global Europe' program, the EU's primary fund for external financial assistance, faces potential funding reductions under the proposed EU multi-annual budget framework for 2028–2034. While the European Commission has proposed a budget of approximately two trillion euros, some member states are calling for significant cuts to prioritize defense, agriculture, and cohesion policies.