A National Endowment for Democracy (NED) Board delegation traveled to Ukraine in June to reaffirm long-standing support for the Ukrainian people and assess firsthand how NED’s partners are helping sustain democratic resilience as Ukrainians defend their sovereignty and freedom against Russia’s aggression. The visit served as a powerful reminder that democracy endures not because it is inevitable, but because people choose to defend it.
During visits to Kyiv, Lviv, Zhytomyr, Bucha, and Rivne, the delegation met with 32 NED partners and staff from the four Core Institutes: the International Republican Institute, National Democratic Institute, Solidarity Center, and Center for International Private Enterprise. These conversations highlighted the impact of NED’s long-term investment in independent civil society and underscored that resilient democratic institutions and engaged citizens remain among Ukraine’s greatest strategic assets.
The Board also held high-level meetings with representatives of the Office of the President, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Verkhovna Rada, the Central Election Commission, elected local officials, and other senior officials. These discussions examined Ukraine’s wartime governance, reform agenda, political dynamics, and preparations for long-term recovery.
Since 1989, NED and the Core Institutes have supported Ukrainian partners as they have built and defended democratic institutions under immense pressure. Ukraine is now NED’s third-largest country program, with an annual budget of more than $10 million supporting nearly 100 local partners each year.
Key Meeting Takeaways
Ukraine’s resilience is extraordinary but needs continued support.
Across the country, the delegation met local officials, journalists, volunteers, entrepreneurs, parliamentarians, and students who continue to defend not only their country, but also their right to determine Ukraine’s democratic future. Their creativity and determination have enabled democratic institutions and civic life to endure under extraordinary pressure. Sustaining that resilience requires continued international support that is flexible, locally driven, and responsive to evolving needs.
Liberating territory is a military objective. Reconnecting people is a democratic one.
Throughout the visit, the delegation heard a consistent message from partners working with occupied territories and frontline communities: rebuilding the social fabric by maintaining ties with Ukrainians living under Russian occupation is essential to the country’s long-term unity and future reintegration. Civic organizations continue to preserve relationships, document abuses, amplify local voices, and sustain hope.
Ukrainians want peace and justice.
Through visits to sites of Russian atrocities and conversations with survivors, human rights defenders, and investigative journalists, the Board saw how Russia’s atrocities, including the deportation of Ukrainian children and persecution of religious communities, are part of a broader effort to erase Ukrainian identity. For NED, supporting Ukrainian partners who document these crimes and pursue accountability remains a strategic priority.
Preparing for Ukraine’s democratic future begins now.
Preparing for Ukraine’s democratic future means sustaining political pluralism and strong local leadership even as the war continues. NDI, IRI, and members of parliament underscored the work underway to build a more competitive and accountable postwar democracy, while visits beyond Kyiv showed how decentralization reforms have strengthened local governance, citizen engagement, and community resilience.
Highlights from the Trip
Combating Corruption and Supporting Economic Resilience and Recovery
The delegation met with anti-corruption watchdogs, institutional reform organizations, and civic leaders who described how Ukrainian civil society is strengthening public oversight and promoting accountability even during wartime. In meetings with CIPE and its partner, the Union of Ukrainian Entrepreneurs, business leaders discussed reforms needed to improve the investment climate and support reconstruction. The delegation also heard from the Solidarity Center and its partners about efforts to expand workforce training and support veteran reintegration as Ukraine prepares for long-term recovery.
Documenting War Crimes and Helping Ukrainians Seek Justice
The delegation met with NED partners working on human rights, occupied territories, and investigative journalism to understand how digital technologies, open-source investigations, and local documentation networks are strengthening accountability for Russia’s aggression. Visits to Kyiv Pechersk Lavra and Bucha underscored the human, cultural, and spiritual costs of the war, reinforcing the importance of preserving evidence, supporting survivors, combating impunity, while maintaining ties with Ukrainians living under occupation.
Fostering Politically and Civically Engaged Youth to Support Democratic Renewal
Throughout the visit, the Board met with young civic leaders, volunteers, students, and educators who reflected a generation shaped by civic action, war, and extraordinary public service. Conversations with Ukrainian Catholic University, Building Ukraine Together, the Ukrainian Volunteer Service, and other youth initiatives demonstrated how wartime civic engagement is cultivating new leaders with a deep commitment to democratic values and public service.
The visit reaffirmed the Board’s view that sustained investment in Ukraine’s democratic institutions, civic leaders, and local communities remains essential to helping Ukraine emerge from the war freer, stronger, more resilient.
