Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
The Ministry of Health in Gaza: Gaza Strip hospitals received 120 martyrs and 557 wounded in the past 24 hours.
The Israeli Walla! website: We are running out of stockpiles, our forces are exhausted, and the lives of the captives are in danger. It is time for a ceasefire deal in Gaza.
Several wounded in an Israeli bombardment of a tent in al-Mawasi, south of Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli media: Three wounded, three killed in an ongoing operation in the Gaza Strip.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in southern Lebanon: Israeli artillery shelling targets the outskirts of the town of Shebaa
Al-Qassam Brigades: The targeting took place at the intersection of 'Street 5' with the western line north of Khan Younis
Al-Qassam Brigades: A NIMR armored personnel carrier carrying an Israeli soldier was targeted with an Al-Yassin missile north of Khan Younis
Israeli media: At least two soldiers killed by anti-tank missile fired at Israeli army forces in the Gaza Strip
Local Syrian sources: Mortar shells fell on more than nine villages in the Sweida countryside
Local Syrian sources: Dozens of dead and wounded have arrived at Sweida hospitals as a result of ongoing clashes at several locations in the western Sweida countryside

EU gives €5.5 mln lifeline to US' Radio Free Europe amid funding cuts

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: News websites
  • 22 May 2025 11:15
  • 3 Shares
4 Min Read

The EU pledged €5.5M in emergency aid to Radio Free Europe after US budget cuts, warning the outlet faces shutdown in Russia, Belarus, and beyond.

Listen
  • x
  • The headquarters of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) in Prague, 15 January, 2010 (AP)
    The headquarters of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) in Prague, 15 January, 2010 (AP)

The European Union has pledged €5.5 million in emergency aid to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), stepping in to stabilize the outlet after US budget cuts left it on the brink of collapse.

The move highlights the EU’s concern over preserving Western-aligned media in regions like Russia, Belarus, Iran, and Central Asia, areas where Radio Free Europe funding is seen as politically strategic.

Originally launched in the 1950s as a covert CIA operation during the Cold War, RFE/RL is today overseen by the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM). 

However, the agency’s future was thrown into uncertainty when US President Donald Trump issued an executive order in March eliminating most of its funding as part of efforts to cut back what his administration labeled "unnecessary bureaucratic arms."

Musk questions relevance of Cold War-era outlet

Despite official backing, RFE/RL’s role as a Western propaganda outlet remains contentious. Once funded covertly by the CIA, the outlet has faced scrutiny for promoting a US-centric narrative in post-Soviet regions.

Yes, shut them down.

1. Europe is free now (not counting stifling bureaucracy). Hello??

2. Nobody listens to them anymore.

3. It’s just radical left crazy people talking to themselves while torching $1B/year of US taxpayer money. https://t.co/PnmN4erD91

— Kekius Maximus (@elonmusk) February 9, 2025

The controversy has been further inflamed by public figures such as Elon Musk, now head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), who posted on X (formerly Twitter) in February, “Nobody listens to them anymore.” Musk has publicly called for both RFE/RL and Voice of America to be shut down.

Related News

Trump to make historic second UK State visit at King's invitation

EU rallies allies as Trump tariff threats push trade tensions higher

As legal challenges continue and financial uncertainty deepens, the future of RFE/RL remains in limbo. EU officials argue that their aid is symbolic as much as financial, meant to signal that Europe sees the struggle for influence in the media space as critical to its broader foreign policy goals.

Trump-era cuts leave RFE/RL in crisis

Since the defunding decision, RFE/RL has furloughed staff, suspended programming, and initiated legal action. Although a Washington judge briefly halted the order in April, a federal appeals court later blocked the release of funds pending further review.

The outlet has warned of potential shutdowns in multiple regions, citing the inability to pay staff or produce local content.

Speaking at a meeting of EU foreign ministers on Tuesday, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas described the €5.5 million commitment as “short-term emergency funding” to help keep the outlet afloat.

“In a time of growing unfiltered content, independent journalism is more important than ever,” she said, adding that the package would serve as a “safety net” rather than a permanent solution.

While acknowledging that Brussels cannot fully replace US financial backing, Kallas called on EU member states to provide further support.

The EU’s assistance package is intended to help RFE/RL maintain operations in regions considered vital to Brussels’s strategic communication interests.

However, questions persist over the outlet’s relevance and mission. Critics argue that RFE/RL, alongside its sister outlet Voice of America, has drifted from its original mandate and now operates as a vehicle for the dissemination of propaganda.

RFE/RL President Stephen Capus rejected those claims, calling Trump’s funding cuts a “massive gift to America’s enemies.” He said the move has emboldened authoritarian regimes and undermined US and European efforts to maintain a media presence in sensitive geopolitical areas.

Last week, the Trump administration laid off nearly 600 employees at Voice of America, adding that the firings targeted mostly journalists and contractors, amounting to more than a third of their workforce.

  • United States
  • Radio Free Europe
  • Russia
  • EU
  • Belarus
  • US budget cuts
  • European Union

Most Read

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Major ambush in Gaza kills 6 Israeli troops, injures dozens

Major ambush in Gaza kills 5 Israeli troops, injures 14

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Israeli soldiers are seen in Beit Hanoun ahead of an operation by the al-Qassam Brigades, undated (Al-Qassam Brigades Military Media)

'Israel' on blast as media exposes report discrepancies in Gaza ambush

  • Palestine
  • 8 Jul 2025
Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

  • Politics
  • 9 Jul 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
The Freedom Flotilla ship Handala as it departs for Gaza, where it aims to break the maritime blockade at a port in Syracuse, Sicily in southern Italy on July 13, 2025. (AFP)
Palestine

Freedom Flotilla's Handala departs Sicily in bid to break Gaza siege

The container ship CMA CGM Laperouse, left, docks at the Georgia Ports Authority's Port of Savannah, Sept. 29, 2021, in Savannah, Ga (AP)
Politics

US shipbuilding woes deepen as tariffs, outdated policies backfire

Gaza war raises ethical questions for ex-Obama, Biden officials
Politics

Mercenary firm tied to Gaza war crimes hires Obama-Biden PR operatives

'Israel' targets children in Gaza collecting water
Palestine

'Israel' strikes Gaza kids fetching water, blames it on 'malfunction'

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS