Russia’s full-scale war on Ukraine is not only an assault on a sovereign neighbor—it is an assault on human dignity and the idea that free people should choose their own future. Every day, Ukrainians endure bombardment, occupation, and atrocities meant to break their spirit. Yet in the midst of this devastation, they are defending basic natural rights, exposing abuses, and keeping democratic life alive against extraordinary odds. In FY2025, NED invested $10.6M to support nearly 100 local partners on the ground, ensuring they have the resources to carry this struggle forward.
NED’s partners are on the frontlines of this fight: documenting war crimes, helping victims seek justice, safeguarding human rights, and making sure corruption does not rob Ukraine’s citizens, or its allies, of hard-earned progress. Their courage is ensuring that U.S. assistance is not wasted, but instead strengthens the rule of law, transparency reform, and resilience in one of the most consequential battles for freedom in our time.
For more than three decades, NED has stood with Ukraine’s democracy champions—ordinary citizens, civic leaders, volunteers, businesspeople, local officials, journalists, and human rights defenders—whose work has been decisive in resisting Russian aggression. NED’s four core institutes—NDI, IRI, CIPE, and the Solidarity Center—complement nearly 100 local partners by strengthening Ukraine’s political institutions, private sector, and independent trade unions, helping to anchor a broad network of partners advancing democratic resilience under wartime conditions.
Today, that partnership matters more than ever. The United States has invested billions to help Ukraine prevail. By empowering local reformers, watchdogs, and independent media, NED ensures that investment delivers results: a Ukraine that can hold the line against authoritarian aggression, emerge stronger and freer, and contribute to a safer, more secure world for Americans and their allies.
NED Prioritizes Four Key Areas with the Highest Potential for Transformative Change
- Ensuring Accountability and Strengthening Oversight: Supporting anticorruption initiatives that monitor government spending, expose corruption, and ensure transparency in Ukraine’s reconstruction and defense efforts, preventing waste and abuse.
- Strengthening Independent Media and Countering Kremlin Propaganda: Backing Ukrainian journalists and media outlets with the tools and resources to report on the war’s impact, challenge authoritarian narratives, and expand access to information—especially across the frontline and in occupied regions where Kremlin censorship and information blockages are most severe.
- Supporting Citizens Who Strengthen Ukraine’s Democracy: Supporting grassroots networks, volunteer movements, and civic leaders who are driving local governance reforms and strengthening Ukraine’s democratic foundations from the ground up.
- Documenting War Crimes and Securing Justice for Victims: Enabling Ukrainian organizations to track and expose war crimes, build legal cases, and coordinate with respective authorities in Ukraine and other countries to help ensure justice for victims.
NED’s Support Makes a Difference
1. Securing Citizen Oversight over Military Spending: NED partners have strengthened mechanisms for overseeing non-lethal procurement during the war and have fostered the creation of transparent procurement practices that have saved approximately $300 million in 2024—ensuring that U.S. assistance is used effectively and preventing corruption that could weaken Ukraine’s war effort.
2. Increasing Transparency to Strengthen Ukraine as a Stable and Self-Reliant Partner: NED partners are exposing corruption and driving systemic reforms that strengthen Ukraine’s governance. Their work has led to the creation of independent anti-corruption institutions that have uncovered and prosecuted top corrupt officials and have dismantled networks that undermined state integrity. These successes have not only resulted in landmark legal actions, but have also helped institutionalize greater transparency and accountability.
3. Strengthening Business Integrity: A thriving, transparent private sector is critical to Ukraine’s long-term stability and an opportunity for U.S. businesses. Programs led by the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), one of NED’s core institutes, have enabled Ukrainian reforms in customs, economic security, and business integrity. These reforms have made it easier for legitimate enterprises to operate, while empowering over 200+ business associations to advocate for policies that reduce corruption and attract foreign investment.
4. Documenting and Exposing Russia’s War Crimes: NED partners have played a critical role in documenting and exposing Russia’s war crimes in Ukraine, leveraging legal mechanisms and verified evidence to inform the public. These groups also play a vital role in locating and securing the return of children unlawfully deported to Russia and Belarus—using legal channels, survivor testimonies, and advocacy to bring them home.
5. Delivering Independent Information to Occupied and War-Affected Regions: NED’s independent media partners operate across an 1,800-mile-long frontline and in some of the country’s most hard-hit areas, ensuring citizens have access to accurate reporting on the war and political developments. Using innovative strategies, they reach audiences in occupied regions where Kremlin propaganda campaigns and censorship dominate.
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