The European Union will provide emergency funds to keep Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) operational after the Trump administration froze funding for the global pro-democracy broadcaster.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Tuesday that the bloc’s foreign ministers had agreed to a €5.5 million contract to “support the vital work of Radio Free Europe.
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”She described the short-term funding as a “safety net” for independent journalism.
RFE/RL, which broadcasts in 27 languages across 23 countries in Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East, lost a major portion of its financing after President Donald Trump’s administration cut off funding in March, accusing the media outlet of pushing a liberal agenda.
Last month, a US federal judge ordered the administration to restore $12 million that had been allocated to the broadcaster by Congress.
Lawyers for RFE/RL warned it would be forced to shut down by June without the funds.
Kallas acknowledged that the EU could not cover the broadcaster’s global shortfall but said the bloc could help it continue operating in countries within the EU’s neighborhood that need independent news sources.
Founded during the Cold War, RFE/RL has its corporate headquarters in Washington and journalistic headquarters in Prague, the Czech capital.
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