Since taking office nearly two months ago, former President Trump and his ally Elon Musk have been making significant budget cuts in the United States.
These cuts have affected thousands of employees working in government departments, agencies, and institutions. Research efforts have also taken a hit.
One particular area affected is a large research team that has been investigating Russia’s illegal deportations of Ukrainian children, reports Videnskab.
The team, led by Yale University, uses detective-like methods and a variety of data sources to explore these deportations. Unfortunately, their funding from the government has been paused.
The research team has made significant discoveries, showing how Russia, under President Putin, has been systematically deporting thousands of Ukrainian children and teenagers from war-torn areas.
This work has had political consequences and has been crucial in reuniting some Ukrainian families separated by these deportations.
The budget cuts are part of the government's efforts to reduce funding for development programs and agencies involved in aid, such as USAID.
As a result, the Yale researchers are now facing delays. The team, along with other research groups, is part of a program called Conflict Observatory.
This initiative works to track crimes and illegal actions committed during conflicts, with the goal of documenting and holding perpetrators accountable.
Since late January, the research has been put on hold. The researchers can no longer access their files or previous work. This has serious consequences.
They are unable to share their findings with organizations like Europol and the International Criminal Court (ICC), which have used the data to investigate and prosecute war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine.
This delay could slow down efforts to bring justice to those responsible for these crimes.
