US aid suspension hits Russian independent media and NGOs

//Summary - Level-B2//
Former US President Donald Trump's decree suspending international aid and USAID funding has severely impacted exiled Russian NGOs and media, many of which rely on grants to survive. The sudden funding halt has caused panic, forcing organisations to cancel events and struggle with basic expenses like rent. Up to 90 groups have already lost support, affecting efforts to aid persecuted individuals and report on the war. Russian propaganda is using this as proof that opposition groups depend on Western money. While private and European funding remains, competition for resources will increase, threatening the survival of many organisations.

1)
US President Donald Trump's decree halting American aid to foreign countries and suspending the work of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has severely affected exiled Russian media and NGOs.

For many organisations and publications, grant funding is the sole means of ensuring their continued existence.

2)
When the new US administration announced the suspension of all international aid programs, the Russian emigrant community panicked.

Most exiled Russian NGOs and media rely on grants as their primary—and sometimes sole—source of funding, with a significant chunk coming from Washington.

3)
The topic has been high on the agenda for Russia's opposition and anti-war communities, though only behind the scenes.

Affected NGOs and media outlets are reluctant to publicly admit that they receive American funding, as doing so could result in criminal prosecution by Russian authorities. They are also unwilling to discuss their financial problems publicly.

4)
Dozens of organisations are under threat from within the Russian-language anti-war diaspora community, including those who help persecuted individuals to leave Russia, try to protect minority rights and bring accurate information about the war to audiences within Russia.

5)
According to The Moscow Times, citing a source in Washington, up to 90 organisations have already lost funding.

For example, The Ark, which offers temporary housing, legal aid, psychological support, and other assistance to Russians forced to flee their homeland, immediately lost half its budget.

6)
Former political prisoner Andrei Pivovarov (released in the summer 2024 prisoner exchange) wrote that Trump's decree would lead to the cancellation of one-off events and the abandonment of long-term projects.

"You can cancel a conference, but you can't, for example, stop paying the rent. You can't tell your landlord: 'Wait, Trump will work it out'. He'll cancel the contract.'

7)
And many do not have the kind of safety net that can pay for these three months or raise money via crowdfunding," he explained. "It will be even more difficult with people.

In many countries, residency is tied to a work contract, and if there is no money for that, it raises questions about the basis for extending [residency]."

8)
Russian propaganda channels are jubilant. For decades, they have been telling Russians that the opposition lives on Western money and carries out orders from abroad.

Trump's decree offers them an excellent opportunity to say that these claims have been proven and that "independent" media is nothing of the sort.

9)
Of course, nobody on the pro-Kremlin side is considering how Western grant funding works. Maria Zakharova, a representative of Russia's Foreign Ministry, has already claimed that USAID forced "countless grant-eaters" to remain silent about alleged Ukrainian war crimes.

10)
Not all funding for Russian civil society comes from US state grants. Private foundations and European governments also support Russian initiatives.

However, removing perhaps a quarter of the support from Russian journalists and organisations can only lead to ever more fierce competition for the remaining funds—not every project will survive.

11)
Why the world should care:

Trump's political measures are affecting activists and NGOs around the world. Russian organisations and media outlets cut off from their homeland face more significant problems than many, as they have far fewer sources of alternative funds.

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