The EU will allocate €5.5 million to support Radio Liberty after the administration of US President Donald Trump stopped allocating grants for its work.
AP reports about this, UNN writes.
Details
It is reported that the head of the EU foreign policy department, Kaya Kallas, said that the bloc's foreign ministers agreed to a contract worth 5.5 million euros (6.2 million US dollars) to "support the vital work of Radio Free Europe".
According to her, "short-term emergency funding" is a "safety net" for independent journalism. She also noted that the EU will not be able to fill the organization's funding deficit around the world, but can help the broadcaster "operate and function in those countries that are in our neighborhood and are very dependent on news coming from outside." .
She said she hopes that the 27 EU member states will also provide more funds to help Radio Free Europe in the long term. Kallas said the bloc is looking for "strategic areas" where it can help, amid the United States cutting foreign aid.
Let us remind you
US President Donald Trump signed a decree providing for a significant reduction in the federal bureaucracy, including the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which controls international media such as Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
The Trump administration criticized Voice of America for violating standards, evading responsibility, and publishing critical comments from reporters about Trump on social media.