The White House recommended the U.S. State Department to cease funding nearly two dozen programs that investigate war crimes and hold perpetrators accountable worldwide, reports Reuters citing three American sources and internal government documents.
At risk of closure are, in particular, projects aimed at finding and holding accountable Russian military personnel guilty of war crimes committed on Ukrainian territory. According to sources and a list reviewed by the agency, the programs also include work in Iraq, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Colombia, Belarus, Sudan, South Sudan, Afghanistan, and Gambia.
The recommendation is not a final decision to terminate the programs, as it gives the State Department the opportunity to appeal.
According to an internal State Department email reviewed by Reuters, State Department agencies wishing to retain programs combating war crimes and holding perpetrators accountable must submit their justifications by the end of the workday on July 11.
According to agency interlocutors, the likelihood of Marco Rubio advocating for the continuation of many programs is low. However, according to one source familiar with the matter, a senior American diplomat may advocate for the preservation of important programs, such as facilitating potential prosecution of war crimes in Ukraine.
According to the agency, among the programs at risk of losing funding is Global Rights Compliance, which documents crimes against humanity in Ukraine, including cases of sexualized violence and torture. Also at risk is the international project Legal Action Worldwide, providing legal support to Ukrainian law enforcement agencies in holding Russian military personnel suspected of committing war crimes accountable.
The administration of President Donald Trump froze and then cut billions of dollars in foreign aid since taking office on January 20, to fund programs aligned with his "America First" policy, using American taxpayers' money.
Unprecedented cuts effectively led to the closure of its main aid agency — the U.S. Agency for International Development, jeopardized the delivery of vital food and medical supplies, and plunged global humanitarian operations into chaos.
While the freezing of U.S. foreign aid has already begun to restrain international efforts to hold Russia accountable for alleged war crimes in Ukraine, the recommendations issued on Wednesday increase the risk of a complete U.S. withdrawal from these efforts, according to Reuters.
Among the programs recommended for termination is an $18 million State Department grant for the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine, implemented by Georgetown University's International Criminal Justice Initiative, two sources reported.
Although these programs do not directly impact Ukraine's efforts to repel the Russian invasion, their supporters argue that they increase the chances of comprehensive documentation of reports of atrocities on the battlefield in the largest conflict in Europe since World War II.
Ukraine has initiated over 140,000 war crimes cases since Moscow's invasion in February 2022. Russia consistently denies that its troops committed war crimes during the conflict.