Kremlin Escalates Fight With U.S. Funded Journalists, Officials Say The fight over the future of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has significant implications for press freedom across Russia. A studio of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in Moscow. The organization, which operates independently in Russia and receives funds from the U.S. government, has become a target for Moscow.Credit...Evgenia Novozhenina/Reuters May 20, 2021Updated 7:54 a.m. ET WASHINGTON — When Jamie Fly, the chief executive of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, visited Moscow in January 2020 to promote his news outlet’s popularity in Russia, he said he received an ominous message from the Kremlin’s top spokesman.