US court orders release of $12M RFE/RL funding after Trump administration freeze
A U.S. court of appeals ruled on May 7 that the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) must release $12 million in funding previously approved by Congress for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), the media organization reported.
The ruling marks a significant victory for RFE/RL amid growing concerns about U.S. funding cuts to independent media countering Russian disinformation.
The court order compels USAGM to comply with an April 29 district court ruling and transfer the funds, which had been blocked following an order by U.S. President Donald Trump.
The money is part of broader congressional appropriations supporting RFE/RL’s operations in Eastern Europe, Russia, Ukraine, Central Asia, the Caucasus, and beyond.
The media organization, established during the Cold War to challenge Soviet influence, operates as an independent media corporation funded by U.S. congressional appropriations through USAGM.
On March 15, Trump signed an executive order slashing funding to seven government agencies, including USAGM. The agency soon after issued a notice terminating a congressionally approved grant for RFE/RL, freezing around $75 million already allocated for the 2025 fiscal year.
The freeze sparked legal action from RFE/RL. On March 25, U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth ruled in favor of the media outlet, but USAGM withheld the funds. The corporation returned to court, prompting the April 29 ruling mandating the immediate release of the funds.
That ruling was briefly suspended by a panel of appellate judges just hours before the appeals court hearing. The May 7 decision reinstates the lower court's order, forcing USAGM to release the $12 million. The agency can still appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
USAGM's interim leadership justified the funding freeze under Trump's executive order, which mandated cuts to "inefficient spending of U.S. taxpayer funds."
The move, however, has been celebrated by Russian propagandists and coincided with Trump's diplomatic outreach to Moscow as he seeks to broker a peace deal in Ukraine.
RFE/RL's broadcasts have long been a target of Kremlin ire. The outlet provides critical coverage of authoritarian governments, human rights abuses, and Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine.
The Kyiv IndependentChris York,