The European Union will explore the possibility of funding Radio Free Europe in the aftermath of plans announced by Donald Trump to stop financing the US broadcaster, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Monday.
Kallas and the foreign ministers of the 27 EU Member States discussed the potential financial gap for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty at their monthly meeting in Brussels.
The Estonian politician, who grew up behind the Iron Curtain, described as “sad” the news that the US government is withdrawing its financial support for the radio station, which she called a “beacon of democracy.”
"The question for us is, can we come in with our funding to ... fill the void that U.S. is leaving? The answer to that question is 'Not automatically'," she said, adding that the EU will "see what can we do."
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty was founded in the early years of the Cold War to promote democratic values to listeners in Eastern Bloc countries and the Soviet Union.
Since the 1990s, it has been based in Prague and has expanded its reach.
The broadcaster claims to reach nearly 50 million people weekly, from Russia to Afghanistan.
