ADMINISTRATOR POWER: One year ago today, around four a.m. local time, Ukrainians from Kyiv to Mariupol to Odesa woke to the sounds of explosions.
Putin’s army marched in from the north, the east, and the south – expecting to easily slice through Ukraine’s defenses.
He thought Kyiv would fall in a matter of days, but the Ukrainian people fought back.
They have inspired the world with their resilience. Thousands enlisted and went to the front lines.
Civilians banded together to make flak jackets out of household supplies. Farmers dodged landmines to plant crops. And countries around the world came together to support them, welcoming millions of refugees into their homelands, showing remarkable unity in enacting the toughest sanctions regime in history, and providing the people of Ukraine the support to resist Russia’s advances.
At USAID, we are proud to stand by the Ukrainian people, to strengthen their democracy and sustain their economy as they defend their homeland.
Putin is attempting to destroy Ukraine’s economy, blocking grain shipments and bombing ports, so we’re bringing in private sector partners like Bayer to invest in critical agricultural infrastructure and get more Ukrainian food into world markets, doubling our assistance for small and medium-sized Ukrainian businesses, and providing the Ukrainian government billions of dollars in immediate support to keep schools and hospitals running.
Putin is weaponizing winter – bombing heating, water, and electricity infrastructure. So we have repaired kilometers of heating pipes, sent more than 1,800 generators, and delivered a mobile power plant large enough to power 100,000 homes
And Putin is targeting civilians, blowing up apartment complexes and even shelters full of children while his army has committed despicable acts: raping and torturing civilians in places like Bucha and Zaporizhia.
So we are supporting Ukrainian human rights organizations that have already documented more than 25,000 instances of alleged war crimes and human rights abuses. And we are working closely with Ukrainian courts and judges so that they have the tools and capacity to one day bring these perpetrators to justice.
The United States will continue supporting the Ukrainian people in any way we can. We will not abandon Ukraine as it fights for its very right to exist, as it stands up on behalf of all democracies for freedom and the rule of law.
We are in this with you, Ukraine – for as long as it takes to win the peace. Slava Ukraini!