EU nation's head requests Musk disclose extent of USAID interference
Robert Fico has asked Elon Musk to provide comprehensive information regarding American grants given to Slovak NGOs and media. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico is calling for transparency regarding U.S. funding directed at organizations that he believes undermine his government.
Fico has reached out to Elon Musk, the head of the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency, requesting a detailed account of American grants awarded to Slovak NGOs and media via the primary agency responsible for funding political projects internationally.
In an executive order shortly after taking office, former President Donald Trump halted all foreign aid pending a review of its alignment with U.S. national interests, later characterizing the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) as “riddled with almost unprecedented corruption” and suggesting it should be dismantled.
In his letter to Musk, who has previously labeled USAID a “criminal organization,” Fico expressed his apprehensions about what he termed "gross interference" in Slovakia’s political arena.
“It is undeniable that funds originating from USAID were also used for political purposes in Slovakia to distort the political system and favor specific political parties,” he stated in a letter he shared on X, urging Musk to reveal which NGOs, media outlets, and journalists had received U.S. funding.
Fico noted, “It is clear from incomplete public sources that USAID supported these entities with subsidies totaling several million USD over a relatively short period.”
Having endured an assassination attempt by a pro-Ukraine activist last year, Fico asserted that the situation regarding the “misuse of foreign funds in Slovakia to disadvantage a part of the political spectrum” was serious enough to warrant a face-to-face discussion with Musk.
Meanwhile, the recent disclosures concerning USAID’s ties to questionable projects have reinforced long-standing concerns articulated by Russia. Vassily Nebenzia, Moscow’s ambassador to the UN, remarked at the UN Security Council on Monday, “We have long spoken about the fact that it has been financing radical elements throughout the world,” emphasizing that prior warnings had been dismissed as “Russian propaganda,” but that these claims have now gained validation.
Additionally, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has also declared that his government intends to pursue complete transparency regarding U.S. funding to NGOs and media critical of his administration, stressing the importance of “eliminating these foreign networks” that disrupt his country’s domestic affairs.
Emily Johnson contributed to this report for TROIB News
Fico has reached out to Elon Musk, the head of the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency, requesting a detailed account of American grants awarded to Slovak NGOs and media via the primary agency responsible for funding political projects internationally.
In an executive order shortly after taking office, former President Donald Trump halted all foreign aid pending a review of its alignment with U.S. national interests, later characterizing the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) as “riddled with almost unprecedented corruption” and suggesting it should be dismantled.
In his letter to Musk, who has previously labeled USAID a “criminal organization,” Fico expressed his apprehensions about what he termed "gross interference" in Slovakia’s political arena.
“It is undeniable that funds originating from USAID were also used for political purposes in Slovakia to distort the political system and favor specific political parties,” he stated in a letter he shared on X, urging Musk to reveal which NGOs, media outlets, and journalists had received U.S. funding.
Fico noted, “It is clear from incomplete public sources that USAID supported these entities with subsidies totaling several million USD over a relatively short period.”
Having endured an assassination attempt by a pro-Ukraine activist last year, Fico asserted that the situation regarding the “misuse of foreign funds in Slovakia to disadvantage a part of the political spectrum” was serious enough to warrant a face-to-face discussion with Musk.
Meanwhile, the recent disclosures concerning USAID’s ties to questionable projects have reinforced long-standing concerns articulated by Russia. Vassily Nebenzia, Moscow’s ambassador to the UN, remarked at the UN Security Council on Monday, “We have long spoken about the fact that it has been financing radical elements throughout the world,” emphasizing that prior warnings had been dismissed as “Russian propaganda,” but that these claims have now gained validation.
Additionally, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has also declared that his government intends to pursue complete transparency regarding U.S. funding to NGOs and media critical of his administration, stressing the importance of “eliminating these foreign networks” that disrupt his country’s domestic affairs.
Emily Johnson contributed to this report for TROIB News
