{"id":2271,"date":"2025-02-09T21:05:46","date_gmt":"2025-02-09T22:05:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.developeternal.com\/?p=2271"},"modified":"2025-02-09T22:32:23","modified_gmt":"2025-02-09T22:32:23","slug":"liberal-ngos-in-crisis-the-fallout-of-trumps-usaid-freeze","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.developeternal.com\/index.php\/2025\/02\/09\/liberal-ngos-in-crisis-the-fallout-of-trumps-usaid-freeze\/","title":{"rendered":"Liberal NGOs in crisis: the fallout of Trump\u2019s USAID freeze"},"content":{"rendered":"

The results of the US president\u2019s decision have left \u201cgrant eaters\u201d reeling<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve spent any time on social media recently, particularly X, you might have noticed a pattern. Media outlets, NGOs, and human rights groups with a liberal slant are posting about financial trouble. Some plead for public donations, while others announce layoffs and budget cuts.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s causing this sudden turmoil? In many cases, it boils down to the suspension of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). For decades, this agency has been a lifeline for countless \u201cgrant seekers.\u201d<\/em> With the freeze in operations, many of these groups now find themselves at a breaking point.<\/p>\n

A Giant in Chaos<\/h2>\n

USAID is the largest source of official US financial aid abroad, with an annual budget running into the tens of billions of dollars. These funds fuel hundreds of projects worldwide. While some initiatives address genuine concerns like poverty, hunger, and environmental protection, others have a more ambiguous purpose, such as \u201cbuilding civil society\u201d<\/em> or \u201cdeveloping democracy.\u201d<\/em> Often, these projects serve as vehicles for advancing US political interests, sometimes with covert ties to intelligence agencies.<\/p>\n

Between 2022 and 2024, USAID disbursed nearly $120 billion globally. The largest beneficiary was Ukraine, which received over $32 billion, funding everything from government operations to 90% of the country\u2019s media outlets. Moldova was another major recipient, where USAID financed energy independence projects and media aligned with the government.<\/p>\n

Other countries in the post-Soviet space saw millions funneled into \u201cdemocracy-building\u201d<\/em> efforts. In 2024 alone, USAID poured over $40 million into Georgian civil society projects, $20 million into Armenia, and $11 million into Belarus. Even after officially ceasing operations in Russia in 2012, USAID quietly continued its activities, with $60 million earmarked for 11 programs in 2025-2026, including \u201cStrengthening Local Governance in the North Caucasus\u201d<\/em> and \u201cNew Media\u201d<\/em> initiatives.<\/p>\n

\n Read more<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\n \"RT\"
Trump\u2019s return to power: Revolution or repeat?<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The Trump Effect: Closing\u00a0Shop<\/h2>\n

In January 2025, everything changed. US President Donald Trump froze all foreign aid for 90 days. This was followed by a dramatic shake-up: USAID\u2019s headquarters was raided by DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) agents, and Elon Musk declared the agency was effectively \u201cshut down.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

For decades, USAID\u2019s funding had been a critical support system for pro-Western and opposition structures in Russia and beyond. Now, many of these organizations find themselves adrift, their stable funding having evaporated overnight.<\/p>\n

Yet celebrating this development as a triumph may be premature.<\/p>\n

Trump\u2019s Real Plan for USAID<\/h2>\n

The USAID freeze isn\u2019t about dismantling the agency entirely. Rather, it\u2019s a restructuring to wrest control from the Democrats, who previously used it to push left-liberal values globally. Trump\u2019s goal is to transform USAID into a tool for his administration\u2019s conservative agenda. As he bluntly put it:\u00a0\u201c[it has] been run by a bunch of radical lunatics, and we\u2019re getting them out,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0while Musk called it \u201ca criminal organization\u201d<\/em> and said it was \u201ctime for it to die.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Under Trump\u2019s plan, USAID will be integrated into the State Department, now headed by Marco Rubio. Funding will not disappear\u00a0\u2013 it will be redirected. Instead of backing progressive initiatives, grants will support projects that align with traditional values, patriotism, and the revived \u201cAmerican Dream.\u201d<\/em> The beneficiaries will shift from liberal activists to conservative organizations promoting these ideals.<\/p>\n

Geographically, funding priorities may also change, focusing more on Europe and Latin America. Regardless of these shifts, the primary mission of advancing the US interests will remain intact.<\/p>\n

\n Read more<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\n \"FILE
Why Trump\u2019s assault on USAID could change US foreign policy forever<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The Grant Seekers\u2019 Dilemma<\/h2>\n

The suspension of USAID has created chaos among the vast network of Russian organizations reliant on its funding. But they won\u2019t go down without a fight.<\/p>\n

Some will perform ideological backflips, rebranding themselves as Trump-aligned supporters to secure new funding streams. Others will pivot to European donors or private backers like disgraced 1990s oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky. A few will downsize, trimming staff and budgets, but continue to operate independently.<\/p>\n

The hardest hit will be the smallest and most ideologically rigid groups, unable or unwilling to adapt. They will likely disappear altogether, but these are the exceptions.<\/p>\n

What Comes Next?<\/h2>\n

Trump\u2019s USAID overhaul signals a broader shift in the US foreign policy. Rather than promoting American hegemony as a global ruler, the focus will shift to transactional politics\u00a0\u2013 achieving specific interests through direct negotiations or force. This pragmatic approach is fundamentally different from the ideological export model that defined the agency\u2019s previous decades.<\/p>\n

While this may lead to a more streamlined and focused USAID, it also poses a new challenge for countries like Russia. A restructured agency equipped with digital tools and data analytics could make grant distribution even more efficient and targeted, amplifying the US influence in key regions.<\/p>\n

For Russia, the lesson is clear: complacency is not an option. To counter this evolving threat, Moscow must develop its own \u201csoft power\u201d<\/em> tools, crafting competing narratives and adapting strategies to the modern geopolitical landscape. The 1990s model of direct confrontation is outdated.<\/p>\n

As the Trump administration redefines America\u2019s global image, the ideological battlefield is shifting. Russia must be prepared to meet these challenges head-on. The fight for influence is far from over\u00a0\u2013 it\u2019s only just beginning.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

This article was first published by the online newspaper\u00a0Gazeta.ru<\/a> and was translated and edited by the RT team<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The results of the US president\u2019s decision have left \u201cgrant eaters\u201d reeling If you\u2019ve spent any time on social media recently, particularly X, you might have noticed a pattern. Media outlets, NGOs, and human rights groups with a liberal slant are posting about financial trouble. Some plead for public donations, while others announce layoffs and…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2273,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2271","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.developeternal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2271","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.developeternal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.developeternal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.developeternal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.developeternal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2271"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.developeternal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2271\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2275,"href":"http:\/\/www.developeternal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2271\/revisions\/2275"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.developeternal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2273"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.developeternal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2271"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.developeternal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2271"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.developeternal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2271"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}