Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský has stated that European Union ministers intend to discuss the future of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) during their meeting on March 17, following the United States' decision to halt its funding.

"First, we need to determine whether there is political will to take action. That is why I will bring up this issue today," Lipavský said ahead of the EU foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels.

On March 15, former U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to reduce seven federal agencies, including the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees RFE/RL, Voice of America (VOA), and several other media organizations.

The document requires each agency head to submit a report within seven days to the presidential administration’s budget office confirming compliance with Trump’s order and explaining which components or functions of the agency are "legally mandated and to what extent."

Just hours after the order was published, former ABC News journalist Tara Palmeri shared an alleged letter from USAGM stating that the congressional grant funding for RFE/RL had been suspended.

The letter was signed by Kari Lake, who presented herself as the chief advisor to the acting CEO of USAGM, noting that the authority had been delegated to her by the executive director. Trump appointed Lake as the head of VOA, but her appointment still requires approval from the International Broadcasting Advisory Board.

"The termination of the grant agreement with RFE/RL would be a major gift to America's enemies. Iranian ayatollahs, Chinese communist leaders, as well as autocrats in Moscow and Minsk, will celebrate the shutdown of RFE/RL after 75 years of operation. Allowing our adversaries to claim victory means strengthening them while weakening America," said RFE/RL President and CEO Stephen Capus.

Capus emphasized that RFE/RL has historically enjoyed broad bipartisan support in the U.S.

"Without us, approximately 50 million people living in closed societies who rely on us for credible news and information each week will be deprived of the truth about the U.S. and the world," he stressed.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called on U.S. congressional leaders to shield USAGM from Trump's order.

"It is disgraceful that the White House is trying to dismantle an agency funded by Congress that supports independent journalism challenging authoritarian rejimes' narratives worldwide," said CPJ Program Director Carlos Martinez de la Serna.

USAGM is an independent U.S. government agency that coordinates the dissemination of news and information to approximately 361 million people weekly in over 50 languages.

For 2025, USAGM has requested $950 million in funding, which would support RFE/RL, VOA, Radio Free Asia, Radio Marti (Cuba), the Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN), and the Open Technology Fund, which focuses on internet projects.

Journalists from The New York Times, CNN, and NPR have reported that VOA employees have already been placed on administrative leave.