Civil Society
- Veteran Hub: “Veteran Hub in the city of Vinnytsia [that helps vets find] work, psychological support or legal advice for their postcombat lives… forced to tell 31 employees that they were no longer getting paid.”
- Vilnyi Vybir (Free Choice): “We are putting one of our projects on indefinite hold. The project helped to ensure the right of Ukrainian veterans, their families, and families of Ukraine’s defenders to access quality psychological support services.”
- Dostupno UA, which focuses on accessibility in Ukraine: “We have to stop developing strategic documents for five communities. We are also stopping architectural accessibility audits and consultations on implementing changes in communities. Training sessions for Ukrzaliznytsia [railway operator] on correct interaction and assistance to people with disabilities are on hold. We cannot continue to provide recommendations for improving accessibility at railway stations.”
- School for Policy Analysis NaUKMA is a think tank focused on Ukraine’s role in the world, and for the reintegration of Ukraine’s occupied territories. “Yesterday, we received a letter stating that all activities related to projects funded by USAID must be put on hold. Even those activities where payments have already been made… We have to search, transfer, and reallocate funds from other sources to ensure that we can guarantee our employees some form of salary… This uncertainty is the main issue. There are no guarantees that in a month or even in three months, everything will return to how it was.”
Organizations that have previously received U.S. funding but have not commented on the funding freeze:
- Rehab4U created a rehabilitation system to provide Ukrainians with access to quality care and support services directly in their communities.
- Hoverla program assists Ukraine in creating a sound legal framework for local self-government that will ensure a clear division of powers and responsibilities between local authorities and central government.
- Healthlink launched in 2017, focused on accelerating the process of overcoming the HIV epidemic in Ukraine through quick and safe testing for HIV, and the start of treatment.
- National Democratic Institute has been supporting Ukraine’s democratic development since the first days of its independence.
- Safe, Affordable, Effective Medicines for Ukrainians aims to support Ukraine in reforming the healthcare system and ensuring widespread access to affordable and quality medicines.
Ukrainian Media Affected
Members of the Ukrainian press — which differentiates itself from Russia’s by being free to write about the war, investigate matters of public interest, and challenge governmental authorities — are devastated by the development.
“This has affected the entire market, because even those who did not have [U.S.-funded] programs will now face more competition in the market,” said Victor Pichuhin, development director at Nakypilo, a Kharkiv-based media outlet.
Another news organization, which operates just 60 km from the border with Russia, had a grant for writing about reconstruction halted.
“Our website received a dreaded letter about the suspension of funding. The grant wasn’t large — 48,000 UAH ($1,130 USD) — but we were counting on it. It’s very disappointing, but I plan to continue working within this project,” Viktoriia Horshkova, editor of the ShostkaNews.City told The Counteroffensive. She would have spent the funds on salaries: “It’s just about keeping people in the profession.”
Here are some other news outlets affected:
- BIHUS.INFO, an investigative journalism organization and a Counteroffensive partner: “I plan to streamline our activities, cut all non-critical expenses, and hold out as long as possible without layoffs. I have had and continue to have the support of the public here,” founder Denys Bihus told The Counteroffensive, pointing out that many of their investigative projects were not USAID funded. “There will be changes, it will be more challenging. But globally we will not stop working ‘tomorrow.’” Their Patreon is here.
- Hromadske: “Some of the projects we implement thanks to grants are temporarily suspended.”
- Ukrainer: “[R]ecently all American humanitarian foreign aid to Ukraine has stopped, and Ukrainer’s major documentary projects were 80 percent dependent on this funding,” the organization stated.
- Communication Analysis Team ‘CAT-UA, which combats Russian disinformation: “Now that USAID funding has ended, we are looking for new opportunities for cooperation, including with European partners or NATO. They might be interested in picking up the baton in the United States, especially as it relates to their information security,” said analyst Yevhen Luzan.
- Cukr, which covers the Ukrainian city of Sumy:“Essentially, this suspension has now deprived us of 60% of the funding that was planned for this year… As of today, the situation is undoubtedly critical for us,” said CEO Dmytro Tischenko. “Overall, we remain optimistic. However, we have had to temporarily pause some projects.”