Musk mocks pro-Western Russian and Ukrainian media outlets amid USAID funding freeze

02/13/2025 / By Belle Carter

Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) head Elon Musk mocked the independence of pro-Western media in Russia and Ukraine, responding to a Washington Post article about their financial struggles due to the suspension of USAID funding by the administration of President Donald Trump.
Since Trump’s inauguration, the suspension of most foreign aid, including USAID, has disproportionately affected these media outlets, with Trump calling for the agency’s shutdown, citing corruption and inefficiency.
Over 50 percent of Ukrainian media outlets are dependent on American assistance, and many face the risk of staff cuts or closure. In Russia, up to 90 organizations have lost U.S. funding, potentially forcing them to cease operations.
The funding cut risks undermining three decades of work in promoting democratic values and pro-Western orientation in Ukraine. In Russia, the Russian government has designated several outlets as “undesirable” for allegedly discrediting the country.
The crisis is part of a broader narrative of information warfare and geopolitical tensions between the West and Russia, with Russian officials accusing the U.S. of using foreign-funded media to wage an information war, a claim that has intensified since the Ukraine conflict in 2022.

Elon Musk, the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and a vocal critic of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), has publicly derided pro-Western media outlets in Russia and Ukraine, mocking their claims of independence.

The controversy erupted on Sunday when Musk responded to a Washington Post article highlighting the severe financial strain these media organizations face due to the suspension of USAID funding by the Trump administration.

Since President Donald Trump’s inauguration, he has suspended most foreign aid, pending a three-month review, which has disproportionately affected USAID. Trump has repeatedly called for the agency’s shutdown, citing corruption and inefficiency.

Musk’s tweet, which read, “‘Independent media’ lmao,” reflects a broader skepticism about the true independence of these media outlets, a sentiment that has deepened amid the ongoing geopolitical tensions between the West and Russia.

Funding freeze’s profound impact

The funding freeze has had a profound impact on the media landscape in Ukraine and Russia, where many pro-Western outlets are financially reliant on USAID. According to Natalya Ligachova, head of Detector Media, a Ukrainian journalism watchdog, more than 50 percent of media outlets in Ukraine are dependent on American assistance. The Washington Post reported that these organizations are now at risk of slashing staff or even closing down entirely. (Related: Bill Gates in FULL panic mode over Musk’s DOGE finding out where USAID funds really went.)

“We risk losing the achievements of three decades of work and increasing threats to Ukraine’s statehood, democratic values and pro-Western orientation,” Detector Media stated on its website last week. The organization’s warning underscores the broader implications of the funding cut, not just for media sustainability but for the democratic processes and pro-Western leanings of these countries.

In Russia, the impact is equally severe. The Moscow Times, an Amsterdam-based English- and Russian-language newspaper, reported that up to 90 Russian organizations operating outside the country have lost U.S. funding. Many of these organizations, which have been accused of spreading falsehoods about Russia, may be forced to cease operations. The news outlet has been designated “undesirable” by the Russian government for allegedly discrediting the country’s foreign and domestic policies.

The current funding crisis is rooted in a long-standing narrative of information warfare and geopolitical tensions between the West and Russia. Russian officials have long accused the U.S. of using foreign-funded media outlets to wage an information war against Russia, a strategy they claim is part of the West’s “hybrid aggression.” This narrative gained momentum following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, leading Moscow to implement stringent measures to curb the spread of what it deems as misinformation.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, while asserting that media freedom is protected by the Constitution, has also emphasized that both domestic and foreign media must comply with Russian laws. This duality reflects the complex interplay between state control and media independence, a tension that has only intensified in recent years.

Check out ElonMuskWatch.com to read stories related to this.

Watch the video below where a GOP congressman praised Musk for doing the right thing in closing USAID.

This video is from the TrendingNews channel on Brighteon.com.