Fico asks Musk to provide data on USAID grants in Slovakia

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has asked American businessman Elon Musk to provide information about the grants that USAID has been allocating to Slovak non-governmental organizations, media and journalists. This is stated in Fico's letter to Elon Musk, UNN reports.

Fico emphasized that the new US administration's intentions to cancel the USAID agency directly affect Slovakia's internal affairs. In his opinion, the funding that came through this structure was used for political purposes, which could distort democratic processes and favor certain political forces.

In order to separate useful and socially significant projects from gross interference in the internal affairs of the Slovak Republic, I consider it appropriate to ask you to provide available information on grants and funding received by non-governmental organizations, media outlets, and individual journalists who have worked and are working in the Slovak Republic. Even according to incomplete open data, it is clear that the USAID agency has provided these entities with funding worth several million dollars in a relatively short period of time 

The prime minister also expressed his readiness to meet with Musk in person to discuss the possible misuse of foreign funds to discredit a part of the country's political spectrum. According to him, this problem is so serious that it requires a direct dialog.

Fico also suggested discussing other projects that could contribute to the development of Slovak-American relations.

Recall

Trump's new national security adviser Mike Walz responded to the statement of the former USAID administrator, who called it wrong to close "one of the most powerful tools" to resist the influence of Russia and China in the world.