Reading time: 1 minute 
The European Union will provide EUR 5.5 million to the European Endowment for Democracy (EED) to support Prague-based broadcaster Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced Tuesday following a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels.
The funding is intended as short-term emergency support amid financial difficulties for RFE/RL after the Trump administration cut U.S. government funding earlier this year.
Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský welcomed the EU decision, noting the importance of preserving the radio station’s mission.
“Radio Free Europe is looking for some way to continue its functioning,” Lipavský said, adding, “If we have a media institution that is listened to by 10 percent of Russians, Belarusians, and Iranians, it makes sense for us, for our own security, for our strategic communication.”
Lipavský also raised the issue during discussions with EU counterparts and proposed funding RFE/RL through the EED, which was created in 2013 by the European Union and its member states.
The Trump administration reduced funding to the legal minimum for the United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which supports RFE/RL and other broadcasters. The White House accused the stations of spreading anti-American and partisan propaganda. The cuts deprived RFE/RL of USD 12 million intended for April operations.
Stephen Capus, president of RFE/RL, called the funding reduction “a huge gift to America’s enemies.” However, last Wednesday, a U.S. appeals court ruled that USAGM could release the withheld funds.
The EU’s move to support RFE/RL highlights growing concern over the broadcaster’s future and the broader need for independent media amid geopolitical tensions.
