The Bush administration has slashed the amount of aid Russia and the countries of the former Soviet Union will receive under the Freedom Support Act, according to budget documents released on Monday. The administration is asking Congress for $576 million for 12 countries in fiscal year 2004, a 24 percent cut from the $755 million it requested for the current year ending Sept. 30. The allocation for Russia falls to $73 million from $148 million and Ukraine's to $94 million from $155 million.

The reduction for Ukraine is especially steep because of U.S. displeasure with President Leonid Kuchma, whom Washington suspects of selling an air defence system to Iraq. A U.S. official said the cuts were driven by the Office of Management and Budget in the White House and, in the case of a country like Ukraine, it was harder to argue in favour of maintaining assistance at current levels. A State Department review of policy toward Ukraine has concluded that the United States should divert aid money from the government toward nongovernmental organizations.

The only countries of the former Soviet Union that can expect more U.S. aid are some of the Central Asian states that played a role in the U.S. campaign against the Taliban rulers of Afghanistan and their allies in al Qaeda. The State Department has asked for $42 million for Uzbekistan, up from $31.5 million in the 2003 budget, $40 million for Kyrgyzstan, up from $36 million, and $35 million for Tajikistan, up from $22.5 million. Russia and some of the other countries also receive U.S. aid under global programmes not tied to any particular country, such as funds to help secure nuclear materials or clean up former nuclear facilities.