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Europe
Czechia
17.02.2025 Russia should not be expected to become “friendlier” and it will not be more predictable after the Ukraine war comes to an end, Czech Republic’s Chief of General Staff Rehka said in weekend remarks to Czech television. Rehka also pointed to the difficulty of achieving a resolution to the war in a way that prevents it from resurfacing in the future. He added that his country’s military hopes to boost its active and reserve members to 37,500 but admitted that this is “unrealistic” given demographic trends and past recruitment efforts. Under current plans, the Czech army is set to have 30,000 professional soldiers and 10,000 active reserve members by 2030. Currently, the army has some 23,600 soldiers, with around 1,000 added over the past five years. (Source: Anadolu Agency - Turkey)
France
Mon, 17 FEB, 2025 Speaking last week, president Trump said he wanted to halve the US’s defence spending, especially on nuclear weapons. Hegseth, the US defence secretary, warned Nato defence ministers in Brussels that defending Europe was no longer a strategic priority. In a speech at the Munich security conference, he minimised the threat posed by Russia. Zelenskyy told the Munich conference it was time to create an army of Europe - ideas long promoted by Macron. Should Britain and France pool their nuclear weapons capabilities and create a Europe-wide defensive nuclear shield, extending French and UK nuclear guarantees to the whole of Europe ’to deter Putin’s Russia’, if the US reduces or withdraws its support? France’s president Macron called an emergency summit in Paris of European leaders. The meeting was expected to focus on Ukraine, its future defence, and Europe’s anticipated exclusion from US “peace talks” with Russia due later this week. An even bigger issue of the summit: how to better organise Europe’s collective defences in the context of reduced, unreliable or nonexistent US support. Germany’s defence minister Pistorius has predicted that Putin ’could attack at least one Nato country within the next five years’. ’Frontline Poland and the Baltic republics voice similar fears’. ’Nato’s chief, Rutte, has urged all 32 member states to expand defence spending’. ’Many, including Britain, appear poised to do so’. In a 2020 speech at the École de Guerre in Paris, Macron suggested a ’strategic dialogue with our European partners … on the role played by France’s nuclear deterrence in our collective security’. ’Macron repeated the offer in 2022 and again last year’. Its independent deterrent comprises about 290 warheads and operates separately from Nato. What Macron is saying, like Hollande and other French leaders before him, is that there exists a ’European dimension’ to France’s nuclear defence planning. If, for example, Berlin were threatened with nuclear destruction, that would be seen as a threat to Paris, too. French leaders have three main worries, an analysis published by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) stated. Firstly, there is a ’high risk’ that Trump could withdraw from Nato, or at least significantly reduce US conventional forces in Europe. Secondly, „he may also reduce the number of US nuclear weapons currently deployed in Europe”, though not much evidence currently supports that prospect. Thirdly, a US president who ’loathes or dismisses’ many European countries is unlikely to risk American lives for Europe. This latter argument has circulated in France since the days of Gen de Gaulle: the US would go nuclear to save Boston but not Boulogne, Bratislava or Bognor Regis. Macron’s proposal raises complex questions. Who could order the actual use of ’Europeanised’ nuclear weapons? Who would pay for such a force, especially if necessarily modernised and enlarged? Would such a move accelerating US disengagement? The view from Germany is mixed. Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and anti-nuclear parties such as the Greens strongly dislike the idea (as do French leftwing and far-right parties). But Merz, Scholz’s likely successor, is reportedly ’interested’. Weber, a leading German told last year that doubts about Trump meant ’it was time to take up Macron’s offer’. The ’conservative’ also urged the opening of a ’new chapter’ with London. The need for British involvement has also been raised by German politician Lindner. The question is: under what political and financial conditions would Paris and London ’be prepared to maintain or expand their own strategic capabilities for collective security?’ Lindner wrote last year: ’When it comes to peace and freedom in Europe, we must not shy away from these difficult questions'. The IISS study raised similar issues. As the only other nuclear power in Europe, Britain is a natural partner for France in any exploration of how to strengthen European deterrence. [They] regularly exchange data about nuclear safety and security. The British and French nuclear arsenals combined come to around 520 warheads, numerically equivalent to China’s current deterrent force. This alone could send ’a stronger message to Russia’. Putin, who ’has threatened to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine’, would view it as a provocation. Development of a joint UK-French nuclear umbrella, under the auspices of the European Nato allies and sidelining the US, is politically explosive for Starmer. It would raise questions about sovereign control, not least from the Eurosceptic right. It could be seen by many in Labour as fuelling nuclear weapons proliferation, bringing nuclear war closer. (Source: Irish Examiner - Ireland - / The Guardian - United Kingdom)
Russia
Feb 17, 2025 Russia launches 147 drones during overnight attack, Ukrainian military and officials says. The attacks damaged storage facilities and private residences. Ukraine's air force shot down 83 drones and 59 more did not reach their targets likely due to electronic countermeasures. It did not specify what happened to the remaining five drones. The drone attack on Kyiv region caused fire at an industrial facility and damaged four private residences. In Kharkiv region, the drones damaged three storage facilities of an enterprise, an administrative building and windows in 14 residential homes. Three women experienced acute stress reactions during the attack. (Source: The Straits Times - Singapore / Reuters - United Kingdom)
United Kingdom
Monday 17 February 2025 Number 10 said today it has not ruled out a vote in Parliament about a future decision to put peacekeeping troops in Ukraine, which the PM said he was open to. Starmer has said repeatedly in recent days Ukraine's path to Nato membership is 'irreversible'. (Source: ITV News, news programmes on the British news television channel of ITV)
Europe
17/02/2025 „The White House has sent a questionnaire to European allies asking, among other things, if they would be willing to deploy peacekeeping soldiers to the war-torn nation”. 'The Trump administration has made it clear it expects Europe to assume the overwhelming share of future support for Ukraine, both military and financial. The fast pace of negotiations has put Europe on edge and prompted a flurry of diplomatic activity to showcase political unity and renewed determination. The continent has signalled its readiness to take on a bigger role while maintaining the Western front that was erected in the early hours of the invasion. An informal summit in Paris among European leaders concluded without any concrete announcement, as the idea of deploying peacekeeping troops to Ukraine remains highly divisive. 'European leaders vowed today to continue their joint support for Ukraine in the face of Russia's invasion. They failed to provide any new security guarantees that could make a difference amid Trump's push to launch negotiations with Russia. French President Macron had previously voiced his openness to that scenario. Today, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer made it clear he was ready to do the same as long as America would provide a "backstop. ’I'm prepared to consider committing British forces on the ground alongside others if there’s a lasting peace agreement. But there must be a US backstop because a US security guarantee is the only way to effectively deter Russia from attacking Ukraine again,’ Starmer said at the end of an emergency summit in Paris. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen cautioned there were a lot of questions that needed answers. How are the Americans going to view these questions?. 'Are they going to back up Europeans in case of boots on the ground?' Asked about peace talks, Frederiksen said a "ceasefire is not automatically peace and it's not automatically long-lasting peace" and urged European nations ’to step up their aid to Ukraine to put the country in the best possible position for future negotiations’. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was saying any discussion on peacekeepers was completely premature and highly inappropriate at the present moment, given the war still rages on with all its brutality. I'm even a little irritated by these debates, Scholz said after leaving the meeting. Scholz welcomed the prospect of peace talks but warned against imposing a dictated peace on Ukraine. He also stressed the need to maintain a united Western front against the Kremlin. There must be no division of security and responsibilities between Europe and the US, which means that NATO is based on the fact that we always act together and are at risk together and guarantee our security through this. That must not be called into question, Scholz told reporters. When asked if Spain would commit to boots on the ground, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said that "we still don't have the conditions for peace to start thinking about this model". Any security guarantees have to be a responsibility shared by all allies, he added. Prior to the meeting, Polish PM Donald Tusk had ruled out sending Polish soldiers to Ukraine as a part of a peacekeeping mission. 'Poland is NATO's leader in defence spending per GDP' and has received praise from the Trump administration. The meeting in Paris, hosted by Macron, was also attended by Italy's Giorgia Meloni, the Netherlands' Dick Schoof, der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, Costa, the president of the European Council, and Rutte, the secretary general of NATO. ’Today in Paris we reaffirmed that Ukraine deserves peace through strength'. 'Peace respectful of its independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, with strong security guarantees', der Leyen and Costa said in a coordinated message. ’Europe carries its full share of the military assistance to Ukraine'. 'At the same time, we need a surge in defence in Europe.’ The call between Trump and Putin last week, broke the West's three-year-long effort to isolate Putin - an exclusion from the diplomatic process. Kellogg, the US special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, later confirmed Europe would be consulted throughout the negotiations but would ultimately lack a seat at the table. Kellogg added he was working on "Trump time" and the American president expected to have a draft deal in a matter of "days and weeks." Lavrov, Russia's foreign affairs minister, who is under EU sanctions, is expected to meet with US Secretary of State Rubio tomorrow in Saudi Arabia. Rubio will be joined by Waltz, the national security adviser, and Witkoff, the Middle East envoy. Zelenskyy is scheduled to travel to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday. Trump's latest actions, and the recent remarks by his Secretary of Defence, Hegseth, indicate America, with focus on China and the border with Mexico, no longer sees Europe as a priority. Last week, Hegseth said any peacekeeping mission deployed to Ukraine would be deprived of NATO's Article 5 of collective defence. /Photo/ (Source: Euronews - Headquartered Lyon, France)
17:21-17 February 2025 AD European leaders were holding an emergency meeting in Paris today to discuss their role in Ukraine's future after the United States announced it would sit down with Russia to seek an end to the three-year war. Here is what some have said ahead of the meeting on the issue of sending peacekeeping troops into Ukraine: Denmark: Ahead of the Paris meeting, Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said: 'We need to increase military support to Ukraine, we need to produce more, and we need to do it faster. 'And then we must remove the restrictions on the Ukrainians' use of weapons, so that they can actually defend themselves against the Russians without having one arm twisted around their back'. A ceasefire must not lead to Russian rearmament, which is replaced by new Russian attacks. Germany: Asked if German troops could be deployed in a future peace mission in Ukraine, Chancellor Olaf Scholz stressed the importance of a strong Ukrainian army. This will be a great task for Europe, for the US and international alliance partners, Scholz said. On the issue of European ground troops, a defense ministry spokesperson said: 'If the framework is given, Germany will not shy away.' 'Poland will support Ukraine as it has done so far, organizationally, in accordance with our financial capabilities, in terms of humanitarian and military aid, Prime Minister Donald Tusk told reporters before boarding a plane to Paris. "We do not plan to send Polish soldiers to the territory of Ukraine. 'We will ... give logistical and political support to the countries that will possibly want to provide such guarantees in the future, such physical guarantees. Spain: "It is too early at this time to speak about deploying troops to Ukraine as there is no peace at the moment," Spain's Foreign Minister Albares told. "Today I'm convinced Putin will keep attacking and bombing Ukraine. So I do not see peace on the horizon at the moment.' Sweden: 'There needs to be a very clear mandate for those forces and I don't think we can see that until we have come further in those negotiations, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson told. 'But Sweden, we are normally a part of strengthening security in our part of the world, so I foresee us to be a part of that this time as well.' The Netherlands: 'We understand Europe needs to play a role. It is logical that the Netherlands is considered, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof told reporters at the Munich Security Conference. 'There needs to be a strong mandate, because the Netherlands won't join any initiative whatsoever if there is not a clear mandate. (..) There also needs to be an escalation mechanism, in which the US needs to be prepared to be stand-by to act.' United Kingdom: 'British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said he is ready to send British troops to Ukraine as part of any postwar peacekeeping force'. 'It's about our national security and I think that we need to do more'. (Source: Asharq Al-Awsat -Headquartered London, United Kingdom, supported by Saudi government).
(17 February 2025) Some European leaders are meeting in France. Tomorrow Russia's foreign minister Lavrov and US Secretary of State Rubio are due to meet in the Saudi capital. Ukraine is not attending either set of talks. What key powers hope to gain from two days of intense diplomacy? Since the summer, Putin has stated that his main conditions for starting negotiations to end the war are the recognition of Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories, the lifting of sanctions on Russia, and denial of Ukraine's request to join Nato. For many years Putin has sought dialogue specifically with the US – a country he both blames for starting the war in Ukraine and considers the only power equal to Russia. Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov has said he would "first and foremost like to listen" to the American proposals on ending the conflict in Ukraine. As for Europe, Moscow sees no point in inviting it to the negotiating table. Moscow may take note of Starmer's statements about being ready to send peacekeepers to the Ukraine. Whether Russia is ready for any compromises remains an open question. The US has been very cautious in discussing what concessions Russia might have to make. The White House and the Pentagon have said they expect compromises from "both sides". Secretary of State Rubio and Special Envoy to the Middle East Witkoff will be the public face of the US team negotiating in Riyadh - but the negotiations with Russia over the fate of Ukraine have been Trump’s focus behind the scenes. On Wednesday, 12 February Trump said he believes he is inclined to agree with Defence Secretary Hegseth's assessment that a return to pre-2014 borders is unrealistic for Ukraine, although he expects Ukraine might get "some" of that land back. Yesterday, Trump told he had been kept abreast of the latest developments and the talks are "moving along". His short-term goal is to stop the fighting in Ukraine. Longer term, he appears to want less American involvement. Trump has also pushed for access to rare minerals in Ukraine in return for aid, or even as compensation. But he has not yet said what a post-war Ukraine would look like. He said that he expects Zelensky to be a part of the "conversation", but not the talks in Riyadh. Rubio has said a longer process will "obviously" include Europe and Ukraine. Today: European leaders in Paris. The French nation always wary of American geopolitical manoeuvring. Former Prime Minister De Villepin at a recent news briefing was accusing an ’arrogant’ Trump of attempting to ’rule the world without principles or respect.’ French President Macron called today's informal meeting to help Europe coordinate a response both to Washington's posture towards the continent, and to whatever emerges from the White House's fast-paced negotiations with the Kremlin. The Europeans ’are not coordinated’ to work together ’to prepare a possible peacekeeping force for Ukraine’. Denmark will be the only Nordic nation at today's meeting, representing the interests of its Baltic neighbours to the east – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – all of whom border Russia. Defence Minister Poulsen has been quoted by Danish media as saying he is not ruling out peacekeeping boots on the ground in Ukraine– but that it is too early to talk about. Over the past three years the country has ’successfully pivoted away’ from Russian energy and massively upped defence spending. But this has hit the German economy hard. The subsequent budget rows sparked the collapse of the German government. So politicians are trying to avoid public discussions of difficult issues, like higher Nato spending targets or German peacekeeping troops in Ukraine - at least until after the election. German leaders are rattled by Trump's approach to Ukraine. Just days before a national election Chancellor Olaf Scholz is also in Paris. All mainstream parties have condemned American suggestions that a peace deal be brokered without Ukraine or the EU. 'Far-right' and populist-left politicians welcome talks with Putin and want to stop arming Kyiv. ’But they will not get into power’. Whatever the next German government looks like, ’Berlin's support for Ukraine will remain strong’. Poland has been a key supporter of Ukraine since the start of Russia's invasion and it is the key logistics hub for military and humanitarian aid entering the country. It is also a loud voice arguing that Russia cannot be allowed to win the war it launched. Poland sees Russia as the aggressor and as dangerous - 'Russia is why Poland spends big on its own military'. There is consternation that the US looks like it is conceding to Moscow's key demands, even before talks begin. On the question of whether to send Polish troops to Ukraine – to help enforce any eventual ceasefire - government officials have been cautious, ruling it out for now. Sir Keir Starmer’ government used to say the terms of any peace deal was up to Ukraine. That has shifted with the new US administration signalling that a return to 2014 borders was "unrealistic". The prime minister is hoping to be a bridge between European leaders and Trump's White House - to put UK troops on the ground in Ukraine is part of that role he wants to play. He will be hoping more European nations in Paris join him in offering their forces to secure a deal. In Westminster the debate goes on about how much the country should spend on defence. Labour has promised to increase defence spending from 2.3% of GDP now to 2.5%. But there is no date for when that would happen. Defence sources say that would be a significant rise. Not at the talks: Ukraine. Russia occupies almost 25% of Ukraine's territory. Ukraine's defence has cost ’tens of thousands’ of lives of its citizens. The country has in the past insisted that any peace deal include the full withdrawal of Russian troops. That included also the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, and the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, where Russia has backed separatists in fighting, also in 2014. Ukrainians are scared of a peace agreement like the one in 2014 or 2015 - heavy fighting was stopped, but crossfire on the border continued to bring losses. Many see previous peace arrangements with Russia led to a new round of war as having simply paved the way for its full-scale invasion. (Source: BBC - United Kingdom)
North America
United States
17 February 2025 Trump’s demand for a $500bn “payback” from Ukraine goes far beyond US control over the country’s critical minerals. The terms of the pre-decisional contract marked “Privileged & Confidential’ and dated Feb 7 2025, that landed at Zelensky’s office a week ago has caused consternation and panic in Kyiv. It states that the US and Ukraine should form a joint investment fund to ensure that “hostile parties to the conflict do not benefit from the reconstruction of Ukraine”. The agreement covers the “economic value associated with resources of Ukraine”, including “mineral resources, oil and gas resources, ports, other infrastructure (as agreed)”. ’This agreement shall be governed by New York law, without regard to conflict of laws principles,’ it states and “for all future licences, the US will have a right of first refusal for the purchase of exportable minerals”. The US will take 50pc of recurring revenues received by Ukraine from extraction of resources, and 50pc of the financial value of “all new licences issued to third parties” for the future monetisation of resources. Washington will have sovereign immunity and acquire near total control over most of Ukraine’s commodity and resource economy. The fund “shall have the exclusive right to establish the method, selection criteria, terms, and conditions” of all future licences and projects. ’It seems to have been written by private lawyers, not the US departments of state or commerce’. „President Zelensky himself proposed the idea of giving the US a direct stake in Ukraine’s rare earth elements and critical minerals when he met Trump on a visit to Trump Tower in September”. 'If we are talking about a deal, then let’s do a deal, we are only for it,' he said. Some mineral basins are near the front line in eastern Ukraine, or in Russian-occupied areas. He probably did not expect to be confronted with terms normally imposed on aggressor states defeated in war, willing to let Russia off the hook entirely. Trump told Fox News that Ukraine had “essentially agreed” to hand over $500bn. He warned that Ukraine would be handed to Putin on a plate if it rejected the terms. “They may make a deal. They may not make a deal. They may be Russian someday, or they may not be Russian someday. But I want this money back,” he said. Trump said the US had spent $300bn on the war so far, adding that it would be “stupid” to hand over any more. ’In fact the five packages agreed by Congress total $175bn, of which $70bn was spent in the US on weapons production’. Some of it is in the form of humanitarian grants, but much of it is lend-lease money that must be repaid. Republican Senator Graham suggested at the Munich Security Conference over the weekend that Trump’s demand was a clever ploy to bolster declining popular support for the Ukrainian cause. Ukrainian officials had to tiptoe though this minefield at the Munich forum, trying to smile gamely. Talk of Ukraine’s resource wealth has become surreal. A figure of $26 trillion is being cast around for combined mineral reserves and hydrocarbons reserves. Ukraine probably has the largest lithium basin in Europe. But the McDermitt Caldera in Nevada is thought to be the biggest lithium deposit on the planet with 40m metric tonnes, alone enough to catapult the US ahead of China. The value of lithium is in the processing and the downstream industries. Unprocessed rock deposits sitting in Ukraine are all but useless to the US. Rare earths are not rare. Mining companies in the US abandoned the business in the 1990s because profit margins were then too low. That problem is being resolved. Ukraine has cobalt but most EV batteries now use lithium ferrous phosphate and no longer need cobalt. Sodium-ion and sulphur-based batteries will limit the future demand growth for lithium. So the mineral scarcity story is wildly exaggerated. Shale gas: Some of the Yuzivska field lies under Putin control, and the western Carpathian reserves are in complex geology with high drilling costs, causing Chevron to pull out, just as it did in Poland. Ukraine has more potential as an exporter of electricity to Europe from renewables and nuclear expansion, but that is not what is on Trump’s mind. Ukraine cannot possibly meet his $500bn demand in any meaningful timeframe. “My style of dealmaking is quite simple and straightforward,” says Trump in his book The Art of the Deal. “I aim very high, and then I just keep pushing and pushing and pushing to get what I’m after.” (Source: The Telegraph - online version of The Daily Telegraph newspaper - United Kingdom)
by Pritchard
2/17/2025 Rubio has constantly appeared one or two steps behind the actions of President Trump and tech mogul Musk. He has to defend the decisions other people are making. Rubio has tried to make his presence felt, whether through trips abroad or public comments. “South Africa is doing very bad things,” he declared on X. It channels Trump’s, and likely South Africa native Musk’s anger over that country’s land reform plans. The former senator from Florida has also done a 180 on some of his core policy positions. Rubio once spoke out against dictatorships from Havana to Tehran; now he’s standing by as groups that defy such regimes lose U.S. funding. He long insisted that the U.S. must remain the world’s dominant power, now he’s suggesting that a multipolar world is an inescapable reality. Rubio once touted the work of the U.S. Agency for International Development; now he’s backing its dismantling. He once sought to strengthen ties with America’s allies; now he’s promoting Trump’s threats. Rubio’s defenders argue that he has evolved since Trump began rising in the GOP, edging closer to the MAGA point of view on the need to spend more of America’s resources inside the United States, not beyond it. Of course, it’s Trump’s job to set U.S. foreign policy, not Rubio’s - and Rubio has said from the start he’s going to implement his boss’ vision. Most politicians who join a president’s Cabinet crave to influence the president’s policy. Rubio was competing with so many special envoys Trump has tasked with foreign policy portfolios. Musk, the world’s richest man has a social media megaphone on X, raising risks to any politician who defies him. Rubio appears hesitant to use the power he has - including his staff. He looks as if he’s merely a bystander as Musk and his acolytes, along with Trump appointees such as foreign assistance chief Marocco, engineer key decisions. They are drafting the critical missives, deciding which staff to oust, and making line-by-line suggestions on contract and grant terminations. Rubio hasn’t overseen a thoughtful, targeted reform process that one might expect from a former lawmaker who spent significant time learning about how U.S. foreign policy is made. The outcome is what matters. This period of transition is difficult. But the goal at the end of it is to have a foreign policy, a foreign assistance program that is aligned with U.S. interests and respects taxpayer dollars. Rubio is a fairly gifted speaker who can charm even skeptics. Privately, too, he’s tried to reassure U.S. diplomats and foreign counterparts, urging them to be patient. Rubio is preparing to allow upheaval at the State Department. A person familiar with internal discussions at State said Rubio is on board with at least a 20 percent staff cut and possibly closing a large number of embassies. Maybe Rubio’s head-down, go-along approach will help him hang on to the title of secretary of State for longer than many in Washington expect. But he still bears responsibility for what happens there. (Source: MSN / Politico = U.S.)
Global
February 17, 2025 „The USAID crisis” and funding the future of ’independent nonprofit media around the globe’. New existential threats: The sudden hold on USAID foreign assistance funding by the US Trump administration has frozen an estimated $268 million in agreed grants in more than 30 countries, throwing much of the 'nonprofit' watchdog sector into crisis, and potentially leaving numerous reporters, contractors, and accountability projects without pay’ in the weeks’ ahead. Several media grantees and experts told they regard this important funding as dead. Contact details of thousands of human rights defenders, media support actors, and journalists involved in US-funded projects in the past decades, as well as information on what they do and how they work, „has fallen into hostile' hands”. US administration social media attacks on officials and beneficiaries „has fueled new threats and proposed criminal investigations” in repressive nations. It has also amplified public smears against 'courageous' networks. Some funders have slowly exited the sector. Policy changes at major social media and tech companies "have suppressed distribution, promoted misinformation, and enabled harassment of independent media and its sources". The risk of self-censorship to lure future funding is yet another allied threat in this bully landscape. Some of the gravest immediate threats are being faced by exiled outlets and independent media in places such as Ukraine, Cameroon, and throughout Central America. Ukraine’s Slidstvo.info, an award-winning independent investigative agency, lost 80% of its funding in a single day in January. The outlet would nevertheless continue to produce current investigations in the weeks ahead - including a major war crimes exposé and a real estate corruption scoop. The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) was forced to lose the services of 43 valued reporters and staff, according to its co-founder, Sullivan, after losing 29% of its total funding due to the USAID freeze. Some outlets in Africa have been hard-hit, such as DataCameroon. Tromp, convenor of the African Investigative Journalism Conference (AIJC) revealed that in-process USAID grants totaling US$28 million for the promotion of investigative journalism in Southern, East, and West Africa, respectively, had been frozen. People with teams and families working in difficult environments like Ecuador - people, who are risking their lives to uncover money laundering, human trafficking; illegal exports - all of a sudden they have no funding, explains Ronderos, co-founder of the Latin American Center for Investigative Journalism (El CLIP). This has given a lot of force to the local enemies of media, whether government or organized crime in countries such as El Salvador and Guatemala because they say even the US government is saying they are propagandists or spies or terrorists. Some media grantee organizations have reported receiving letters from the US government that justify individual grant suspensions "because of their diversity, equity, and inclusion practices". Independent media in Ukraine and the Balkans have been among the hardest-hit. Bihus.info lost two-thirds of its funding in the freeze. Some members from the community worry about new data security and harassment threats. One development expert says: “We’ve seen data about support projects being shared on Twitter; we’ve seen hit pieces on GFMD members and others, and we can only expect this to continue. We’ve seen Azerbaijan, Hungary, Belarus, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and others welcoming USAID’s disbanding, and the narratives around enemies of the state; traitors; spies raking in this money already in circulation.” (Source: Global Investigative Journalism Network - registered in Maryland, headquarters U.S.)
by Philp , GIJN’s senior reporter, formerly chief reporter for South Africa’s Sunday Times.
See also: Impact on organizations /Survey/ (Source: Global Aid Freeze Tracker)
"665 respondents estimated approximately 15 147 local sub-grantees and sub-contractors would be impacted as a result of the stop work orders"; Projects terminated or suspended (map).
February 17, 2025 Artificial intelligence and other technologies. The coming Golden Age of crime. (Source: Foreign Policy - U.S.)
By Muggah, a principal at the SecDev Group and co-founder of the Igarapé Institute; Glenny, the author of McMafia: Seriously Organised Crime.
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