Trump cuts to foreign aid are sending shockwaves through Eastern Europe

abcnews.go.com:

President Donald Trump’s abrupt freeze of U.S. foreign aid is sending shockwaves through Eastern Europe

CHISINAU, Moldova — President Donald Trump’s abrupt freeze of U.S. foreign aid is sending shockwaves through Eastern Europe, leaving pro-democracy groups, independent media, civil society initiatives and local governments scrambling to make ends meet in a region often defined by rivalries between East and West.

The U.S. State Department said that the 90-day freeze aims to root out waste and block so-called woke programs to expose U.S.-funded activities “that run contrary to our national interests” — as Trump aggressively rolls out his “America First” agenda.

Eastern Europe has been a longtime geopolitical battleground where Western foreign policy interests often collide with those of Moscow or Beijing.

Many fear the cessation of U.S. funds could expose Washington's allies — and create a vacuum that its foes could gladly seek to fill.

“In Moldova’s case, foreign donor support is vital to balancing the media landscape," says Oxana Greadcenco, the director of independent media platform Moldova.org. “Many television networks and media institutions are funded by Russia so there needs to be a counterbalance… This is an unprecedented situation, but we are trying not to panic.”

The U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, informed her that grants officially ended on Jan. 24 and they aren’t allowed to spend any remaining funds in their accounts. This week, Greadcenco promoted their online Patreon campaign, which garnered 135 new backers in two days, which should cover salaries for the platform’s 16-strong staff through March, she said.

“We did not expect it to impact Moldova so severely, as we thought there would