The administration of US President Donald Trump has cut tens of millions of dollars in funding for programs that helped investigate Russian war crimes in Ukraine. This could make it difficult to bring those responsible to justice, Reuters reported on May 31.
Organizations that documented crimes of the Russian military against civilians, in particular torture, sexual violence, and deportation of children, were cut, the publication writes. Ukraine, according to American officials, was the largest recipient of such assistance.
Journalists interviewed more than 40 representatives of the US-supported network: law enforcement officers, lawyers, human rights activists and researchers. Almost all of them said that their work had slowed down or was partially stopped after funding cuts.
Dozens of foreign experts can no longer travel to Ukraine to help Ukrainian prosecutors collect and analyze evidence from the battlefield, Reuters notes. In addition, after the liquidation of the US Agency for International Development, a $62 million program aimed at strengthening the Ukrainian justice system was stopped.
Journalists estimate that since 2022, the United States has allocated more than $283 million for initiatives related to the investigation of war crimes in Ukraine. At the same time, programs that accounted for at least 40% of these expenses were closed or ended.
According to the publication, the US State Department said that Washington is shifting the “financial burden of war” to Europe and other “partners who are willing,” but also continues to support Ukraine, in particular programs on “war crimes, justice and accountability for atrocities.”
