January 31, 2025
A few days ago the Trump administration put a 90 day stop on foreign aid:
Friday's memo shocked the humanitarian groups and communities conducting development aid across the globe. While the scope of the directive appears far-reaching, uncertainties linger over how it will be carried out.
The memo on Saturday offered only partial clarity.
The pause on foreign aid spending means "a complete halt," it said. The only exceptions are for emergency humanitarian food assistance and for government officials returning to their duty stations. Waivers allowing delivery of emergency food during the review period will require "detailed information and justification."
...
USAID began sending a notice to contractors ordering them to "immediately issue stop-work orders" and to "amend, or suspend existing awards."
USAID and other U.S. government entities provide money for a wide range of causes. Some are arguably humanitarian and should continue:
Trump order set to halt supply of HIV, malaria drugs to poor countries as part of aid freeze, sources say - NY Post, Jan 28 2025
Others though are not so.
In many cases foreign aid is used to transplant U.S. ideological causes into foreign societies and/or to manipulate them into favoring U.S. interests. This is often hidden under the misleading concept of a 'civil society' as the 'third sector' distinct from governments and businesses. The U.S., through USAID and other like entities, are paying foreign 'non-government' organizations (NGOs), as well as foreign media, to pressure foreign governments into following policies in U.S. interests.
Enslaved by Nonprofits: How NGOs Colonize Developing Countries - Mint Press News, Dec 12 2023
In a number of countries the halt of such 'aid' showed immediate effects (machine translation):
Several major Ukrainian media outlets have asked their readers for financial support due to the suspension of American grant programs by the new President, Donald Trump.
In particular, this is directly reported by Hromadske and Bihus.Info.
"Some of the projects that we implement thanks to grants are temporarily stopped. That is why we especially need the support of each and every one of you," writes Hromadske.
...
Ukrayinska Pravda and Detektor Media also asked for donations, but did not directly name the reason for this suspension of USAID projects.
The U.S. practically owns the whole Ukrainian media scene (machine translation):
Approximately 90% of Ukrainian media outlets have become dependent on American grants since the outbreak of a full-scale war.
This was stated by Oksana Romanyuk, head of the Institute of Mass Information, which is also a recipient of foreign grants, to Public Radio.
...
Political analyst Kostya Bondarenko responded to this statement with irony in his Telegram channel, doubting the lack of engagement of the press.
"Almost 90% of Ukrainian media survived thanks to grants," says Oksana Romanyuk, director of the Institute of Mass Information. I translate it into a normal language: 90% of Ukrainian media was controlled by the West through grants. Independence of the media and freedom of speech, you say?" - wrote Bondarenko.
The dozens of 'independent' U.S. financed pro-war media outlets in Ukraine are just some of a total of 112 official USAID projects in Ukraine (machine translation):
There are 112 projects in Ukraine The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), their funding reaches a total of $ 7 billion.
Such data was provided by MP Maryan Zablotsky on his Facebook page.
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In particular, over three years, $ 297 million was allocated for the following activities::
- support in creating a talk show called "Ebout"on YouTube;
- support of the TVORCHI music group in creating the song "At Once" and conducting concerts;
- Zminy organization (also known as Don't Take Fake, or DTF) hosts an electronic musicians' camp;
- creation of a mural and a series of cultural events by CUKR;
- producer Tatiana Postavna and singer Vladimir Dantes created a reality show about the restoration of cultural spaces in frontline settlements;
- release of the first series of the project "College Check";
- release of the second season of the project "Ukrainian Palaces. Golden Day".
"And there are dozens of such projects - Maybe someone needs it. But I don't quite understand why American taxpayers should do this. And why don't we ask for funds for something obviously more necessary?" Zablotsky asked himself.
USAID projects in Ukraine (and elsewhere) include the promotion of Neo-Nazi ideology:
Ivan Katchanovski @I_Katchanovski - 𝕏 4:47 UTC · Jan 29, 2025
Neo-Nazi linked activist tweets that podcasts with leader of neo-Nazi C14 in Ukraine would also stop because of Trump's suspension of USAID funding.
(pic)
Some are claiming that foreign funds do not influence the content that is produced:
It's understandable to be wary of foreign money funding Ukrainian journalism, but there's no hidden agenda behind it. It's not about controlling the media or pushing specific narratives - that is more common for domestic actors. Organizations providing foreign grants don't tell the media what to write or order journalists to support or attack particular policies or figures. That's what local oligarchs do.
The Washington Post recently demonstrated how oligarchic ownership of media is in fact influencing their content through control of its editors. Dependency on foreign aid creates similar ways.
As Alexey Arestoivich, a former advisor to the former president of Ukraine, 𝕏 explains (machine translation):
"Almost 90% of Ukrainian media survived thanks to grants," says Oksana Romanyuk, director of the Institute of Mass Information.
Actually, this is called "intellectual occupation".
...
Domestic humanities and media were intercepted and put under control back in the 90s, and this is the secret of why, instead of a large, multicultural symphony of Ukraine, "humanitarians" began to build a UPA dugout here the size of the largest European country.
This is one of the main reasons for the start of the war.
Because when the Biden administration needed to buy Ukraine to contain Russia, it didn't have to try very hard, everything had already been bought long ago.
Ukraine is certainly not the only country that is relevant here:
Balázs Orbán @BalazsOrban_HU - 𝕏 9:58 UTC · Jan 29, 2025
One of the largest Hungarian opposition media outlets is upset by Trump's executive order halting U.S. foreign aid for 90 days, as Hungary's "independent" press stands to lose millions of forints in funding. Makes you wonder how independent one can be when relying on another government's funding...
The Ukraine government sees the loss of U.S. funds to Ukrainian media as a chance to cheaply obtain control over these (machine translation):
The Office of the President intends to take over the management of grant organizations in Ukraine, whose American funding was frozen by US President Donald Trump.
This follows from yesterday 's address by Vladimir Zelensky.
According to him, the government will start financing those projects and non-governmental organizations that it considers critical. This process will be supervised by Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Alexey Kuleba.
The halt of U.S. finances to foreign NGO operations demonstrates the deep influences these create. It demonstrates the importance of having laws that prohibit foreign (and state) sponsorship of local media and 'civil society' entities.
Reprinted with permission from Moon of Alabama.