Slovakia’s Robert Fico seeks full disclosure of US funding to organizations undermining his government
Prime Minister Robert Fico has formally requested that Elon Musk, head of the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), disclose detailed information about American grants allocated to Slovak non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and media outlets through Washington’s main agency for funding political projects abroad.
In one of his first executive orders after taking office, President Donald Trump suspended all foreign aid pending a review of its alignment with US national interests. He later stated that the US Agency for International Development (USAID) was riddled with almost unprecedented corruption and should be shut down.
In a letter to DOGE chief Elon Musk – who previously branded USAID a “criminal organization” – Fico voiced concerns over what he described as “gross interference” in Slovakia’s political landscape.
Dear Friends, The information that the administration of the new US President is preparing to permanently abolish the USAID agency, designated to deliver foreign aid is extremely serious for the internal affairs of the Slovak Republic. I have therefore contacted Mr @elonmusk, the… pic.twitter.com/tSr0dIBdww
“It is undeniable that funds originating from USAID were also used for political purposes in Slovakia to distort the political system and favor specific political parties,” Fico wrote in a letter shared on X on Tuesday, urging Musk to disclose which NGOs, media outlets, and individual journalists had received US funding.
“It is clear from incomplete public sources that USAID supported these entities with subsidies totaling several million USD over a relatively short period,” he added.
Fico, who survived an assassination attempt by a pro-Ukraine activist last year, said the “misuse of foreign funds in Slovakia to disadvantage a part of the political spectrum” was so serious that he was prepared to meet Musk in person to discuss the matter.
The recent revelations about USAID’s links to shady projects validate concerns long expressed by Russia, Moscow’s ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, told the UN Security Council on Monday. “We have long spoken about the fact that it has been financing radical elements throughout the world,” Nebenzia said, adding that such warnings were previously dismissed as “Russian propaganda” but had since been proven true.
Last week, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban similarly announced that his government would seek full transparency regarding US aid to NGOs and media outlets critical of his administration, emphasizing the need to “eliminate these foreign networks” that interfere in the country’s domestic affairs.
