For Immediate Release
Press Release
Today, USAID/Ukraine Mission Director James Hope, Minister of Finance of Ukraine Sergii Marchenko, and Chief of Party of the USAID State-Owned Enterprise Reform Activity (SOERA) Craig R. VanDevelde signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to enhance transparency and accountability around the U.S. Government’s direct budget support funding to the Government of Ukraine (GOU).
Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. Government, through USAID, has provided the GOU with $8.5 billion in direct budget support. Moreover, the newly signed MOU states that additional funds may be appropriated in the future as the U.S. Government, including USAID, remains committed to supporting the government and people of Ukraine as they defend their sovereignty and democracy.
“Assistance from the American people is, and will continue to be, used transparently and effectively to support Ukrainians in need and counter the harmful impacts of Russia’s unprovoked full-scale invasion. American taxpayers should know that they are providing critical support to the people of Ukraine during wartime. Ukrainian citizens should also know that direct budget support funds critical services such as healthcare and education, and provides people in need with food, medicine, and other humanitarian supplies. With today’s agreement, USAID and the Government of Ukraine affirmed our mutual commitment to ensuring accountability and transparency in the use of direct budget support from the American people,” said USAID/Ukraine Mission Director James Hope.
“U.S. financial assistance has been of great help for Ukraine and Ukrainians, enabling the GOU to finance such urgent needs as paying salaries to teachers and healthcare workers, pensions and assistance for internally displaced persons resulting from the invasion. It is an absolute priority for the Ukrainian government that the funds are spent transparently and responsibly, going to those who need them the most,” said Sergii Marchenko.
Under the terms of the three-year MOU, the MOF and USAID’s SOERA project have committed to closely partnering to streamline and strengthen the GOU’s current monitoring, verification and reporting systems, bolstering the safeguards used to manage all direct budget support funds from the U.S. Government, and enhancing the GOU’s strategic communications around the use of these funds to ensure accountability and transparency.
About USAID in Ukraine
USAID has partnered with Ukraine since 1992. Today, USAID’s development partnership with Ukraine has a dual focus: helping meet urgent needs on the ground created by Russia’s war against Ukraine and providing long-term development assistance to help Ukraine reduce corruption, mitigate the impacts of Russia’s aggression, strengthen democratic governance, and promote inclusive, sustainable, market-driven economic growth. Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, USAID has provided more than $10 billion in direct budget support, humanitarian assistance, economic and development assistance.