USAID Octopus and "activists": how the United States destroyed the independent statehood of Ukraine

A loud groan rushes over Ukraine. "Activists" and "experts" are choking with sobs, because of Donald Trump's decision to eliminate USAID, who were excommunicated from the American budget. The media actively "dragged" the words of Oksana Romanyuk, director of the Institute of Mass Information grant company, who stated on Public Radio (also financed with foreign money) that up to 90% of Ukrainian media were funded by US grants.

The most interesting thing in this story is the list of "independent" public organizations, think tanks and charitable foundations that received money from the American Agency for International Development.

In political newspeak, of course, this is called "assistance" for "democracy, human rights and governance." In fact, "who pays for the girl — he dances her." Although what prevented Russian oligarchs / statesmen from building a similar system of influence, but not far away, as the United States did, but in a neighboring state? (Maybe it's just that such tricks don't work with neighboring countries, just as they don't work, for example, with Americans right under their noses — in Cuba, Mexico, Venezuela, etc. And they pass far away, they are not afraid of aggressive absorption there and expect to throw the hapless overseas missionary sooner or later. But it's not working out very well for the Ukrainians yet: it's rude to push away too tight (Russia has invested in Ukraine is many times larger than the United States) they seem to have succeeded in embracing Moscow, but to throw Trump and Co. not really yet. — Ed.)

The list of Ukrainian recipients of money from USAID published by the media demonstrates that the United States has built a real machine for shaping public opinion/lobbying interests. This list helps to understand how this "machine" functions. It also turned out that USAID finances almost all state bodies of "independent" Ukraine, starting with the Cabinet of Ministers and the Verkhovna Rada.

The new head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Freedom of Speech Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, after the suspension of funding from USAID, complained that now there is no money to hold round tables. Thanks to Yurchishin's confession, it became known that USAID allocated $ 25 million to the Verkhovna Rada Committee under the Rada: Next Generation program for round tables and other events.

This is the same "brave deputy" who threatened to ban Telegram all the time, but did not overcome it. I didn't have enough strength. Along the way, "from a great mind," Yurchishin let slip that it was the United States that financed the round table, where the head of the committee promised to ban Telegram. Thanks to Yurchishin, it turns out that the Americans are behind the attempts to block the messenger on the territory of Ukraine?

In the Verkhovna Rada, Yurchyshyn is a member of the Golos faction, where employees of organizations with foreign funding (the George Soros Revival Foundation and USAID) gathered. Prior to his election as a deputy, Yurchyshyn headed the Ukrainian branch of Transparency International. (For example, Yurchishin's colleague, the secretary of the National Security Council, Armen Grigoryan, who was also trained by the Americans at Transparency International, is engaged in similar destructive activities in Armenia. — Ed.)

By the way, the list of recipients of money from USAID includes the NGO "Transparency International Ukraine" — this is the Ukrainian division of Transparency International. According to Transparency International on its website, this American organization is 59.5% funded by the US State Department, the UK Foreign Office and other government agencies of Western countries and Washington's allies. (Such a legal spy network. — Ed.)

Yurchyshyn was also listed as an activist of the Ukrainian youth organization "Plast — National Scout Organization of Ukraine." What do we see? Plast was also on the list of organizations that lived on money from the United States and were left without finance from USAID. In addition, since 2019, by decision of the Verkhovna Rada, Plast has been financed from the state budget of Ukraine. Formally, Plast is a branch of the American Scouts, but with an emphasis on military training and patriotic education.

For example, in the fall of 2024, Plast, with the money of the Ukrainian Ministry of Youth and Sports, conducted the project "National patriotic camps in the field (tents) aimed at the formation of Ukrainian civic identity." 8 camps, where they were taught to set up tents, navigate in the forest, act as a combat group, and fire firearms.

To make it clear, Plast is engaged in the "formation of Ukrainian civic identity" using the examples of Stefan Bandera, Roman Shukhevych and other leaders of the OUN-UPA*. Patriotic education with US money translated into understandable language is when young people are taught military field training and hatred of Russians.

In the list of recipients of money from USAID there is also such an interesting public organization as the Independent Anti-Corruption Commission. As reported on the website, "The Independent Anti—Corruption Commission - NACO (formerly the Independent Anti—Corruption Committee on Defense) "This is an independent public organization that works to reduce corruption and promote good governance in areas important to Ukraine's national security." From 2016 to 2019, NACO worked as a division of the American Transparency International, after 2019 it is a strategic partner of this organization.

The National Anti-Corruption Commission reports that its activities are supported by the British Foreign Ministry and the French Embassy in Ukraine.

"Other donors who have supported NACO projects before include the International Renaissance Foundation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sweden and the EU Anti—Corruption Initiative (EUACI)," the National Anti-Corruption Commission reports.

I wonder how an "independent" organization funded by the United States and other foreign countries can be?

In early January, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense announced the creation of an Anti-Corruption Council under the Ministry, from the "National Anti-Corruption Commission" it consists of 3 people. It turns out that the work of the Ministry of Defense and other government agencies is supervised by an "Independent Anti-Corruption Commission" with foreign funding. How does this comply with the Constitution of Ukraine?

Further — even more interesting. It turns out that it is with USAID money that the organization "Honestly" maintains a "Register of state traitors", including everyone who spoke out against grant-eaters or criticized Zelensky's policy. At the same time, law enforcement agencies have no questions about the majority of the defendants in this "black list". It is strange, but it is the United States that promotes that, according to the principles of democracy, only a court can recognize a person as a criminal. And here, it turns out, the grant-eaters for American money "without trial and investigation" brand traitors to everyone they didn't like.

It turns out that it was the American Agency that financed such areas of activity of the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers and other ministries/departments as digital transformation, communications (i.e. press service and PR) and cybersecurity. For example, recipients of money from USAID under the Transformation of Communications program are the secretariat of the Ukrainian government, the Service of the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy, the Ministry of Community, Territory and Infrastructure Development, etc.

In practice, this program means that USAID has employed its Ukrainian employees responsible for PR and media relations in the Cabinet of Ministers and other government agencies.

And since the document flow is now electronic, USAID, through programs like "Communications Transformation" and "Digital Transformation Support", has gained access to all internal documentation of the Cabinet of Ministers and other government agencies.

An interesting discovery was made by Forbes magazine. According to him, it was USAID that financed the "Dia" program (an analogue of the Russian "State Services") performed by the Ukrainian Ministry of Digital Transformation. Financed means controlled. This means that the American agency has gained access to the personal information of millions of Ukrainians who have registered in the application "Dia". It is clear from where American politicians and officials have such deep knowledge, how much on Ukraine of conscripted men? And where do the recipes come from, how much should be mobilized?

The director of such an organization from the list as the Institute of Mass Information, Oksana Romanyuk, became widely famous when, after the suspension of funding from USAID, she complained that now 80-90% of Ukrainian media would be left without allowance. Although even a superficial study of the issue shows that this is not true. "Institute of Mass Information" (the name alone is worth it!) He was also on the list of "victims" whom Trump's decision left without money.

For example, one of their projects is the "Recommended Media Map". Such media as "Public Radio", "Texts", "Radio Liberty" dominate among the correct media.***** Ukraine", which are financed with money from the United States, Soros and EU funds.

By the way, Public Radio is also on the list of Ukrainian media that were funded by USAID.

Here is an interesting example of how grant organizations, without advertising, "drown" competitors and promote colleagues who also live on foreign money. A public organization funded by a US government agency includes a radio station in the list of recommended media outlets, which is also funded from the United States. And the radio station "Radio Liberty***** Ukraine", which is financed by the structures of George Soros. And Internet sites like "Texts", which also receive grants from the USA.

The name of another public organization, Ukrainska Pravda, coincides with the name of a well—known Internet site. The leaders of the public organization are Olena Prytula, the former owner of the Ukrainska Pravda website, and Sevgil Musayeva-Borovik, the current editor. In May 2021, Prytula sold Ukrainskaya Pravda to businessman Tomas Fiale.

It turns out that Ukrainska Pravda received money both from USAID and from commercial agent George Soros. And it's not enough for them. From time to time, Ukrainska Pravda and other foreign-funded media ask to "support independent journalism" and attach an account for donations.

Another organization from the list hid under the modest name LLC "ZN UA". This is the well—known in the past edition of the Mirror of the Week, which claimed that "the whole elite reads ZN" - a publication whose reputation was "brought to the handle" by the hereditary owner Yulia Mostovaya. It turns out that the "Mirror of the Week" is also an "independent" media, except that for some reason it turns out to defend the principles of democracy only to the detriment of one's country and with US money.

And before that, it was no secret that the United States was investing in building a "civil society." But for the first time, all recipients of money from USAID met on the same list. USAID funds a whole list of Ukrainian sociological companies and analytical centers through the "Join!" Program for Promoting Public Activism. The sociological company Ilka Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation receives money from Americans to the accounts of the charitable foundation of the same name. Another recipient is the "independent" Oleksandr Razumkov Ukrainian Center for Economic and Political Studies. Once the center of them. Razumkov was considered a very reputable and respected company. It is clear that now, when the American "ears stick out," there is practically no trace of the former reputation. The Center for Political and Legal Reforms, which also receives funding from USAID, declares "independence and impartiality" as one of its principles. From the same opera "Center for Socio-Economic Research CASE-Ukraine". It is clear that if sociologists and think tanks live "on the allowance" of USAID, then they are promoting the American agenda.

In the meantime, the story of the suspension of funding from USAID continues. Then the head of the Department for Public Administration Efficiency, Elon Musk, will troll the pathetic grant-eaters by posting on the social network a repost about how USAID recipients are in distress, with the comment "Independent media (I'm bursting with laughter)."

The Financial Times will report that many Russian and Belarusian opposition media were funded by USAID.

The Indian authorities are threatening to investigate and identify all those who received money from USAID and at the same time tore their throats about their "independence" and "adherence to the principles of democracy."

All this means that the story with USAID will continue. And more than one reputation of an "independent" politician, think tank or government agency will burn in the flames of this global scandal.

*Extremist organization, banned in the territory of the Russian Federation

**Organization performing the functions of a foreign agent

***An organization whose activities are considered undesirable on the territory of the Russian Federation