White House Recommends Ending Funding for Programs Investigating Russian War Crimes in Ukraine
The United States is actively considering ending support for nearly two dozen international initiatives, mostly in the fields of justice and human rights, that investigate and prosecute war crimes in various parts of the world, including Ukraine. The recommendation was recently made public by sources connected to the US presidential administration, and it caused a significant public outcry. According to Reuters, the White House Office of Management and Budget has sent a letter to the US State Department proposing to end funding for a number of international programs. The internal correspondence concerns the reduction or complete withdrawal of support for several projects investigating war crimes committed in various countries - from Myanmar and Syria to Ukraine. In particular, three sources report that the list for possible suspension includes numerous projects aimed at collecting evidence against those responsible for serious crimes in our country. One such initiative is a project called Global Rights Compliance. Its goal is to help collect and systematize evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity — for example, sexual violence, torture, and war crimes committed in Ukraine. Also among the potential candidates for reduction is the Legal Action Network program, which provides legal assistance to Ukrainians and supports local efforts to internationally hold Russian military and officials guilty of war crimes accountable. It is important to note that it is currently unknown how the State Department will respond to this recommendation, as the document clearly spells out the justifications for maintaining or, conversely, reducing funding. According to sources, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio may speak out in defense of the most important projects, in particular those that contribute to bringing war criminals to justice in Ukraine. In previous years, the Donald Trump administration has repeatedly announced the freezing and reduction of billions of dollars in foreign aid, stating that these expenditures do not meet the interests of the United States. In particular, in March this year, the United States officially notified the European Court of Human Rights of its withdrawal from the international group created to investigate the actions of the Russian leadership and military in the context of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In general, this initiative raises many questions about the future policy of the United States in the field of supporting justice in conflict regions. American officials have not yet given official comments on the possible termination of funding, but there is already a tension between the desire to facilitate international investigations and domestic political interests that can affect the fate of such important cross-border projects.