Media: White House seeks to slash US funding for global war crimes investigation

The White House has recommended terminating funding for nearly two dozen US-backed programs supporting war crimes and accountability work across the globe—including in Ukraine, Syria, and Myanmar.

The proposal, issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), would impact initiatives that document atrocities and support prosecutions for war crimes. Although not final, the recommendation gives the State Department until July 11 to appeal and justify programs they wish to preserve, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

According to one source familiar with the matter, while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio may argue to save some critical efforts—particularly those aiding war crimes prosecutions in Ukraine—“the expectation that Rubio would argue for many of the programs to be continued is slim.”

Programs potentially on the chopping block include Global Rights Compliance, which gathers evidence of crimes and torture in Ukraine, and Legal Action Network, which supports Ukrainian legal efforts to prosecute Russian suspects.

Among the most high-profile initiatives recommended for termination is an $18 million State Department grant supporting Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office, implemented by Georgetown University’s International Criminal Justice Initiative.

The cuts reflect the broader direction of President Donald Trump’s administration.

An internal State Department email cautioned that “any effort to preserve programs that were recommended to be terminated should be thoroughly argued and directly aligned with Washington's priorities.”

By Vafa Guliyeva