The U.S. has significantly cut funding for investigations into Russian war crimes: details
1 June 09:36
In January 2025, the administration of U.S . President Donald Trump cut funding for projects related to the investigation of war crimes by “tens of millions of dollars.” Since 2022, the U.S. government has allocated more than $283 million for these purposes, with Ukraine being the largest recipient of funds, according to Reuters, which reviewed U.S. government reports and spoke with more than two dozen sources, eight of whom are former U.S. officials, reports "Komersant Ukrainian".
“The cuts made under Trump affected about half of all Ukrainian projects investigating war crimes,” a high-ranking Ukrainian official told Reuters.
Furthermore, the agency acknowledged that such programs in various countries, which accounted for at least 40% of U.S. funding since 2022, were either shut down or ended without renewal.
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Among the organizations that had their funding cut is the Laboratory for Humanitarian Studies at the Yale School of Public Health. Its investigations helped locate children who went missing in combat zones or during Russia’s occupation of Ukrainian settlements during the war. According to the lab’s leadership, the funds necessary for its operations will run out as early as August, as the U.S. State Department has suspended the allocation of $8 million to it.
The situation is even more dire for Ukrainian organizations
To assess the impact of the funding cuts, Reuters surveyed more than 40 members of organizations that, with U.S. support, investigated war crimes during the war in Ukraine, assisted in court proceedings, or provided aid to victims. According to the agency, nearly all those surveyed stated that their activities had become more limited due to the reduction in U.S. funding.
Among the affected organizations is the Ukrainian group Truth Hounds, which has been gathering information on war crimes in the country since 2014. According to its representatives, budget cuts forced them to lay off some staff, suspend an archiving project, and postpone plans to train judges and prosecutors in international law.
Moreover, due to the State Department’s cuts to programs supporting prosecutors in Ukraine, “dozens of foreign experts who helped collect and analyze evidence from the battlefield” can no longer travel to the country, Reuters reported, citing five sources. Infrastructure projects have also been affected by the sharp reduction in funding. In particular, the restoration of a courthouse destroyed during the war has been suspended.
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