Latest news with #OksanaRomanyuk
Russia Today
30-01-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Ukraine wants EU to replace lost US aid
Ukrainian members of parliament have appealed to non-US donors to step in and fund local media outlets and NGOs following Washington's suspension of most foreign assistance programs. Last week, President Donald Trump ordered a 90-day review of aid schemes, halting cash flows. Many affected programs were run by USAID, Washington's soft power agency that distributes billions of dollars of assistance each year for projects that promote the US interests around the world, under the premise of humanitarian development. It spent over $60 billion in 2023 alone. Ukrainian recipients of American grants were hit 'worse than it may seem,' a statement by the parliamentary committee on humanitarian affairs said on Wednesday. Lawmakers anticipate that it will take up to six months for US funding to fully resume, and have urged European sponsors step in. 'Given the constraints on public funding, grants remain virtually the only way for cultural and media projects to function,' it said. Read more Nearly all Ukrainian media depends on US cash – NGO chief The urgency of the situation was previously highlighted by Ukrainian content creators. Oksana Romanyuk, executive director of a Kiev-based media research non-profit, warned that 90% of news outlets in Ukraine rely heavily on foreign grants. With USAID operations frozen, many of them are now soliciting emergency donations. The Ukrainian MPs described foreign assistance as 'an important part of our path to democratic development and sustainability' . They empathized that USAID was funding projects for children, with thousands of minors attending schools that depend on American taxpayer dollars. According to media reports, senior officials in the Department of State have lobbied Secretary Marco Rubio to make exemptions for their preferred aid programs, arguing that they are essential for US interests. Meanwhile, at least 60 senior USAID officials reportedly have been placed on paid administrative leave.
Russia Today
29-01-2025
- Business
- Russia Today
Nearly all Ukrainian media dependent on American money
The vast majority of Ukrainian media have been kept in business in recent years only thanks to foreign grants, with most of the funding coming from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), according to Oksana Romanyuk, the head of the Institute of Mass Information NGO. Speaking on Hromadske Radio on Tuesday, Romanyuk explained that, following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, the Ukrainian advertising market collapsed, particularly in the online media sector, by 92%, and has yet to recover. Advertising revenues have therefore been insufficient to keep Ukrainian media outlets afloat, and many of them have relied on grants to maintain their operations, she explained, noting that foreign cash accounted for 100% of their funding in some cases. 'Almost 90% of Ukrainian media survived on grants,' Romanyuk said, adding that at least 80% of outlets in the country had received funds from USAID programs. Some grants have also been provided by EU structures and other international organizations, she noted. Her comments come as several Ukrainian media outlets, including Hromadske Radio, recently announced the suspension of certain projects due to funding shortages following USAID's decision to halt its foreign assistance programs. Romanyuk said 90% of Ukrainian outlets had been impacted by this move, with many of them now pleading for emergency cash donations. Read more US officials pushing to unfreeze aid for Ukraine – FT 'American grants were key,' Romanyuk said, adding that 'European institutions remain. I hope that they will step in with new proposals for Ukrainian media to support and protect us.' Last week, US President Donald Trump issued an executive order initiating a 90-day suspension of nearly all US foreign aid programs pending a review by the State Department. Some 60 senior USAID officials have also been placed on administrative leave. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has exempted only emergency food programs and military aid to Israel and Egypt from the freeze.
