Slovakia’s Robert Fico seeks full disclosure of US funding to organizations undermining his authorities
Prime Minister Robert Fico has formally requested that Elon Musk, head of the US Division of Authorities Effectivity (DOGE), disclose detailed details about American grants allotted to Slovak non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and media shops by way of Washington’s fundamental company for funding political tasks overseas.
In one in all his first govt orders after taking workplace, President Donald Trump suspended all international assist pending a evaluate of its alignment with US nationwide pursuits. He later acknowledged that the US Company for Worldwide Growth (USAID) was riddled with nearly unprecedented corruption and must be shut down.
In a letter to DOGE chief Elon Musk – who beforehand branded USAID a “felony group” – Fico voiced considerations over what he described as “gross interference” in Slovakia’s political panorama.
Pricey Buddies,The knowledge that the administration of the brand new US President is getting ready to completely abolish the USAID company, designated to ship international assist is extraordinarily severe for the inner affairs of the Slovak Republic. I’ve due to this fact contacted Mr @elonmusk, the… pic.twitter.com/tSr0dIBdww
— Robert Fico 🇸🇰 (@sd_smer) February 11, 2025
“It’s simple that funds originating from USAID have been additionally used for political functions in Slovakia to distort the political system and favor particular political events,” Fico wrote in a letter shared on X on Tuesday, urging Musk to reveal which NGOs, media shops, and particular person journalists had obtained US funding.
“It’s clear from incomplete public sources that USAID supported these entities with subsidies totaling a number of million USD over a comparatively quick interval,” he added.
Fico, who survived an assassination try by a pro-Ukraine activist final 12 months, mentioned the “misuse of international funds in Slovakia to drawback part of the political spectrum” was so severe that he was ready to satisfy Musk in individual to debate the matter.
The current revelations about USAID’s hyperlinks to shady tasks validate considerations lengthy expressed by Russia, Moscow’s ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, advised the UN Safety Council on Monday. “We have now lengthy spoken about the truth that it has been financing radical components all through the world,” Nebenzia mentioned, including that such warnings have been beforehand dismissed as “Russian propaganda” however had since been confirmed true.
Final week, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban equally introduced that his authorities would search full transparency relating to US assist to NGOs and media shops crucial of his administration, emphasizing the necessity to “remove these international networks” that intervene within the nation’s home affairs.
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