USAID Announces New Subsidies for Ukraine Media

Funds Will Push for 'Ukrainian Unity' and EU Integration

The US Agency for International Development (USAID), most recently in the headlines for its covert creation of “Cuban Twitter,” a social media enterprise aimed at regime change, is set to throw more money at sympathetic media in the Ukraine.

Already on the hook for millions of dollars at this point, USAID announced another $1.25 million for promoting “universal values” in the Ukraine, much of it related to the upcoming elections.

In addition to direct support for media, the USAID money is also aiming to organize “town hall events” in Ukraine focusing on the importances of “Ukrainian unity and the implications of EU integration.

The program was initially unveiled during the Yanukovych government, and at the time focused on “independent media.” Now, USAID openly declares its supports for the interim Ukrainian government, and is focused instead on pushing to establish the legitimacy of that new ruling faction.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.