Ukrainian press funds predicament following US cash cut
Date
1/30/2025 3:28:06 AM
(MENAFN) Many Ukrainian media outlets are facing a funding crisis after the trump administration suspended US foreign aid, which has been a significant source of support for the country's media. According to Oksana Romanyuk, executive director of the Institute of Mass Information in Kiev, nearly 90% of Ukrainian media outlets have relied on grants, and the suspension of USAID funding poses a serious threat to Ukraine's media landscape. She warned that this could allow oligarchs to gain control over weakened outlets, jeopardizing Democratic values in the country.
Several outlets, including Hromadske, have started soliciting emergency donations to stay afloat. Hromadske, which was founded in 2013 with support from the US embassy and George Soros' Open Society Foundation, played a crucial role in the 2014 Maidan protests and has praised USAID for its support of independent media in Ukraine. The investigative journalism group Bihus.info also noted that much of its work has been funded by the US.
Other organizations, such as Detector Media, are raising alarms that numerous groups combating disinformation may face shutdowns without continued USAID support. Irina Vereshchuk, deputy chief of staff to President Zelensky, expressed concern over the aid freeze and announced plans to consult with US partners to resume funding while stabilizing the situation in the meantime.
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