Radio Free Europe group's exiled Russian journalists 'at grave risk' after Trump cuts

Exiled Russian journalists are being left "high and dry" and at risk of being stranded overseas without any legal status after the Trump administration's decision to withdraw funding from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL).

- Michael Savage

The Guardian understands that some Russian journalists working for RFE/RL, which was founded during the cold war and broadcasts to countries including Belarus, Russia and Ukraine, will face imminent problems over their legal status should the broadcaster shut down.

Many of RFE/RL's Russian journalists operate from Prague, Riga and Vilnius, with their work visas often tied to their employment. Terminating the broadcaster's funding would trigger visa expirations, leaving them without legal status within months.

Deportation to Russia would expose them to criminal prosecution.

Alsu Kurmasheva, a longtime journalist for RFE/RL, was detained in Russia in 2023 and only released last year as part of a prisoner swap.

"This lays out very starkly the kind of risks faced by Russian journalists who might be stranded without employment, left high and dry if they lose their livelihoods and the legal status that's linked to their employment outside Russia," said a person familiar with the situation who wished to remain anonymous because of the risk of retaliation.

"This could have a very serious impact. There is no free media inside Russia. The media landscape would be all the more bleak."