Egypt cancels meeting with Kushner over denied aid

UPDATE: Egyptian foreign ministry leaders met today with a U.S. delegation led by Jared Kushner after initially striking a planned meeting from the schedule. Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and top White House adviser, met with President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and then with Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry. Analysts interpreted the earlier canceled meeting as an attempt to send a message of disapproval following the U.S. decision to cut nearly $100 million in military and economic aid to Egypt and delay almost $200 million more in military financing.

OUR EARLIER REPORT (8:40 a.m.): Egypt’s foreign ministry canceled a Wednesday meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump’s adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner and other officials after the United States denied the country millions of dollars in aid. Kushner currently leads a delegation traveling in the Middle East to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. The Trump administration on Tuesday cut $95.7 million in military and economic aid to Egypt and delayed an additional $195 million in military financing, noting that the pending process depends on human rights improvements and efforts by Egyptian authorities to ease harsh restrictions on civic groups and non-governmental organizations. Egypt’s foreign ministry in a statement warned that the denied aid could have a negative impact on the countries’ common interests.