Funding cuts by the administration of the US President Donald Trump have affected almost half of projects in Ukraine related to the investigation of Russian war crimes.
This is mentioned in the Reuters article.
According to the agency, in 2025, the Trump administration cut tens of millions of dollars from international justice programs as part of the America First policy. Ukraine was the largest recipient of such support.
Due to funding cuts, the Ukrainian human rights organization Truth Hounds, which has been documenting Russian war crimes since 2014, was forced to lay off some staff, suspend an archival project, and postpone training for judges and prosecutors.
Of the more than 40 organizations investigating war crimes in Ukraine and assisting in trials against Russians, almost all have faced a lack of funding. Among the experts interviewed by the agency were law enforcement officers, lawyers, human rights activists and researchers.
In addition, dozens of foreign experts can no longer regularly come to Ukraine to collect evidence, and some projects to support the Ukrainian justice system have been halted.
Reuters estimated that the US has spent at least $283 million on programs related to the investigation of war crimes in Ukraine since 2022. At the same time, programs that accounted for at least 40% of this money have been completed or have lost funding.
According to US Ambassador for Criminal Justice Beth Van Schaak, who held the position under President Joe Biden, cutting US aid could result in the denial of justice for many victims affected by the war.
The US State Department stated that Washington continues to support Ukraine, particularly in the area of "justice and accountability for atrocities", but the financial burden of the war should be shifted to a greater extent to Europe and other partners.
Reuters notes that the EU and the UK continue to fund such programs, but replacing the lost volume of American aid will be difficult.
- The Prosecutor Generalʼs Office of Ukraine reported that since the start of the full-scale invasion, more than 230 000 cases have been opened regarding Russian war crimes. These include shelling of civilians, torture, sexual violence, and deportation of children.
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