During a plenary debate, several Members of the European Parliament spoke out in favor of keeping the stations running. They emphasized that the journalistic role of RFE/RL is essential in times of disinformation and war. The European Commission stated that it is closely monitoring the situation and is open to various types of support measures.
The sudden termination of funding has led to layoffs at the radio stations. In several offices, including those in Prague and Vilnius, employees have been placed on unpaid leave. Staff fear that the prolonged interruption of their work will permanently weaken the stations. There are also concerns about losing access to networks in Eastern Europe.
In recent years, Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty have focused primarily on distributing independent information to residents of Russia and to dissidents and dissenters in countries such as Belarus, Uzbekistan, and Azerbaijan. Through websites, podcasts, and social media, they try to circumvent censorship and provide reliable reporting.
The stations were established shortly after the start of the Cold War with support from the US government. Broadcasting from Western Europe, they sent radio programs to countries behind the Iron Curtain. RFE/RL played an important role in breaking through state propaganda and informing citizens living under communist regimes.
Although the US remained the principal funder for decades, the editorial independence of the stations grew. In recent years, the focus has been on investigative journalism and combating disinformation campaigns. Reporting by RFE/RL was regularly cited by major international media outlets.
Trump's decision to cut funding came as a surprise to many. Critics view it as a political move that harms a free press. The US government has not yet taken official steps to restore funding, though discussions are ongoing within Congress.
Within the European Union, awareness is growing that independent reporting in Eastern Europe is also in Europe's interest. Nevertheless, the European Parliament is still grappling with the question of whether the EU should structurally contribute to foreign media outlets. A decision is expected only in the second half of the year.