European Union allocates financial support to sustain Radio Free Europe – DW – May 21, 2025

The European Union is providing €5.5 million ($6.2 million) to support Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) following the suspension of US public funding to the 75-year-old broadcaster by Donald Trump’s administration in March. RFE/RL has accused the broadcaster of promoting a news agenda with a liberal bias. In response, EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas stated that the bloc is releasing the emergency funds as a “safety net for independent journalism.” Kallas highlighted the significance of Radio Free Europe in resisting authoritarian regimes, sharing her personal experience of tuning in to the station during her childhood in the former Soviet Union. While the funds will not be able to cover all of RFE/RL’s languages and countries, they will focus on regions such as Central Asia and the Caucasus. Kallas emphasized the importance of independent journalism in a time of growing unfiltered content and its contribution to providing news to countries that heavily rely on external sources.

Source: https://www.dw.com/en/eu-releases-funding-to-keep-radio-free-europe-afloat/a-72617621?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf