WASHINGTON, March 18 (Reuters) - Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, a U.S.-funded news outlet established during the Cold War to reach audiences under Communist regimes, announced on Tuesday that the administration of President Trump is seeking to block its funding.
The U.S. Agency for Global Media has ceased grants to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, which broadcasts to nations in Eastern Europe, including Russia and Ukraine, as well as to Radio Free Asia, which caters to audiences in China and North Korea.
The decision drew widespread criticism over the weekend from advocates of press freedom and human rights.
Following Trump's directive to streamline government-funded agencies, more than 1,300 Voice of America employees were placed on leave on Saturday. "The complaint filed on Tuesday argues that withholding the funds allocated by Congress for RFE/RL violates federal laws, including the U.S. Constitution, which grants Congress exclusive authority over federal spending," the news outlet stated in a release.
"This is not the moment to surrender ground to the propaganda and censorship efforts of America's adversaries," remarked RFE/RL President and CEO Stephen Capus.
The case was submitted to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
The Trump administration portrayed its action as a reduction in federal bureaucracy. Elon Musk, a prominent Trump supporter leading federal job cuts, advocated for the closure of RFE/RL in a recent post on X, stating, "It's just radical left crazy people talking to themselves."
Since assuming office in January, Trump has pushed for cost-cutting across several federal agencies, with Musk spearheading the effort.
On its website, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty articulates its mission as delivering "uncensored, reliable news to audiences in 23 countries where press freedom is at risk."