BRUSSELS (AP) 鈥 European Union government ministers on Tuesday debated ways to keep Radio Free Europe afloat after the Trump administration stopped grants to the pro-democracy media outlet over the weekend.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty started broadcasting during the Cold War. Its programs are aired in 27 languages in 23 countries across Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East.
Sweden鈥檚 European Affairs Minister Jessica Rozencrantz insisted on the need to ensure that 鈥淩adio Free Europe really continues to be an important voice for freedom and democracy, especially in those places where it is most needed.鈥
鈥淪weden encourages all countries and the (European) Commission to really look into what we can do in terms of financing, to make sure that we continue to have a strong Radio Free Europe,鈥 she told reporters in Brussels ahead of the meeting.
The outlet got caught up as President Donald Trump鈥檚 administration on Saturday began making deep cuts to and other government-run, pro-democracy programming.
鈥淭he cancellation of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty鈥檚 grant agreement would be a massive gift to America鈥檚 enemies,鈥 the network鈥檚 President and CEO, Stephen Capus, said in a statement in reaction to the move.
On Monday, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas recalled the influence the network had on her as she was growing up in Estonia, which was part of the Soviet Union when she was a child.
鈥淚t is sad to hear that U.S is withdrawing its funding,鈥 Kallas told reporters, after chairing a meeting of EU foreign ministers.
鈥淐oming from the other side of the Iron Curtain, actually it was (from) the radio that we got a lot of information,鈥 she said. 鈥淪o, it has been a beacon of democracy, very valuable in this regard.鈥
But Kallas said that finding 鈥渇unding to fill the void that the U.S. is leaving鈥 would not be easy. 鈥淭he answer to that question is not automatically, because we have a lot of organizations who are coming with the same request,鈥 she said.
The Czech Republic, which has hosted Radio Free Europe for 25 years, although its corporate headquarters is in Washington, is leading the push to keep the network alive. Kallas said that 鈥渢here was really a push from the foreign ministers to discuss this and find the way.鈥
