• The EU will provide €5.5 million to support Radio Free Europe after US funding cuts.
• This emergency funding aims to ensure the outlet's independent journalism continues.
• Kaja Kallas emphasized the historical significance of Radio Free Europe in promoting democracy.
• The funding will not cover all operations but will focus on regions critical to the EU's interests.
• Lawyers for Radio Free Europe are challenging the cuts in U.S. courts.

The European Union announced it will allocate €5.5 million ($6.2 million) to support Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) following significant cuts in funding from the Trump administration. The decision hints at the EU's commitment to independent journalism, with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stating this funding serves as a "safety net for independent journalism" amidst increasing challenges from authoritarian regimes, according to aljazeera and lemonde.

The EU's funding move follows the Trump administration's suspension of financial support in March, which targeted various media services for promoting a news agenda perceived as biased. Kallas emphasized the importance of Radio Free Europe, remarking that she grew up receiving information via its broadcasts during the Cold War in Estonia, where she said, "it has been a beacon of democracy, very valuable in this regard," according to indiatimes and lemonde.

The allocated funds are intended not to support all of Radio Free Europe’s operations globally but to focus on areas of strategic interest to the EU, particularly neighboring countries reliant on external news sources. Kallas mentioned that these funds will enable the broadcaster to continue functioning in regions where independent journalism is vital, as the U.S. government continues to cut foreign aid, according to aljazeera and indiatimes.

Lawyers for Radio Free Europe are currently engaged in a legal battle against the funding cuts, with a U.S. federal judge previously ordering the reinstatement of $12 million appropriated by Congress. As this legal situation unfolds, the EU's immediate support could prove crucial for the operation of the broadcaster, which has a significant historical context as it began airing during the Cold War, providing news to populations under communist rule, according to lemonde and indiatimes.