Critics have warned that the move weakens America's global influence and benefits authoritarian states like Russia and China.
On Friday night, shortly after Congress approved the latest federal budget, Trump directed his administration to reduce the functions of several agencies to the legal minimum.
Among them was the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the federally funded entity overseeing VOA, RFE/RL, Radio Free Asia, and Radio Marti, which provides Spanish-language news to Cuba.
As a result, many employees of Radio Free Europe and Voice of America have been placed on indefinite "administrative leave."
USAGM-funded media outlets, including VOA (founded in 1942) and RFE/RL (established in 1950), employ more than 2,000 people and operate with a budget of USD 270 million.
They provide news in 49 languages to an estimated weekly audience of 361 million people worldwide.
RFE/RL has been particularly active in Russia and Ukraine.
The organization has been designated as a "foreign agent" by Moscow, and in both Russia and Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine, individuals can face imprisonment for liking or sharing its content online.
RFE/RL states that its mission is to promote democratic values and institutions in countries where press freedom is restricted or banned.
During the Cold War, RFE/RL was a key source of independent news for Soviet-controlled countries, including Poland, where authorities frequently jammed its broadcasts.
The White House defended the move, stating American taxpayers would no longer be "on the hook for radical propaganda," and accused VOA of being the "voice of radical America."
(ał)
Source: PAP, IAR