Speeches Shim
The U.S. Government’s partnership with the people of Ukraine is steadfast and enduring, and USAID remains committed to supporting Ukraine and its people in this current crisis. We have worked closely with Ukraine, our European allies, and humanitarian assistance partners to prepare for the emergency that this war has caused and meet immediate and growing humanitarian needs.
USAID deployed a Disaster Assistance Response Team—our nation’s finest humanitarian responders—to the region to support the Ukrainian people as they flee Russia’s aggression and to rapidly address critical needs that arise due to ongoing conflict. We have already responded to a range of needs in the lead-up to the invasion, from energy security to countering disinformation to cybersecurity support as Russia attempts to disrupt critical infrastructure and communications. We will continue to assess and ramp up access to primary and trauma medical care, food, and clean water. USAID is also working closely with the U.S. State Department to support Ukrainians fleeing to neighboring countries.
Last updated: May 19, 2022
Artificial intelligence is poised to increase global GDP by 16 percent by 2030. But as we’ve seen in countries all over the world, democratic and authoritarian alike, artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms used in technology like facial recognition, data collection, and location tracking can be repurposed for digital repression. And while we should never underestimate the possibility or potency of repression, the solution is not to turn our backs on the promise of digitization, but doing everything in our power to manage the risks.
Today, Administrator Power met with the Belarusian Leader of the Democratic Opposition, Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, to discuss recent developments in the democratic movement in Belarus and opportunities to partner with the Belarusian people to seek a better future.
Russia’s belligerence toward peaceful neighbors and its desire to turn back the clock on decades of development and democratic progress across Europe and Eurasia, as Isobel said, must be met by concerted, united response. That’s what we have done up to this point collectively, but the sky's the limit I think on where we take these partnerships in the days ahead.
No one knows this better than Ambassador Erin McKee, and I am confident that her leadership of this critical bureau will allow USAID to mount an urgently needed defense of values that we hold dear, the same values that Ukrainians are fighting for right now: a desire for deeper economic integration, a commitment to fairness over corruption and greed, and a profound desire to live freely and self-govern.
Today, the Biden Administration announced that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) are taking the extraordinary step to draw down the full balance of the Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust (BEHT) as part of an effort to provide $670 million in food assistance to countries in need as a result of Putin’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. The world is suffering from historic levels of global food insecurity, which is being exacerbated by the impact Russia's war on Ukraine is having on global food supplies. Available estimates suggest that an additional 40 million people could be pushed into poverty and food insecurity as a result of Russia’s aggression.
Today, Administrator Samantha Power met with Nick Clegg, President of Global Affairs for Meta, to discuss Meta’s efforts to combat misinformation and disinformation. During the meeting, Administrator Power discussed USAID’s support for strengthening information integrity and civil society organizations working to combat coordinated disinformation, including falsehoods propagated by the Kremlin and its proxies about Russia's war in Ukraine. Administrator Power and Clegg discussed opportunities for Meta to enhance engagement with governments and civil society in countries that face especially severe mis- and disinformation threats, as well as areas for future investment to build the resilience of digital information ecosystems in these countries.
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