Foreign Operations Assistance: Ukraine

United States Department of State
Office of the Coordinator of U.S. Assistance to Europe and Eurasia
Foreign Operations Assistance Fact Sheet, April 2012 *

UKRAINE

United States Government (USG) assistance to Ukraine aims to support the development of a democratic, prosperous, and secure Ukraine, fully integrated into the Euro-Atlantic community. To achieve these goals, USG programs promote the development of sustainable institutions that advance democracy and human rights, promote the rule of law, increase the interoperability of the Ukrainian military, reduce the spread of infectious diseases, support independent media, diversify options for energy independence, encourage nonproliferation, bring the Chornobyl facility to an environmentally safe and stable condition, improve conditions for economic investment to the broad benefit of Ukrainian society, and protect and support vulnerable populations through humanitarian assistance.

Recent Successes by Areas of Focus:

Peace & Security

• USG programs to support peace and security in Ukraine include efforts to promote military reform and modernization, counter transnational threats, reduce weapons stockpiles, and construct the shelter for the destroyed Chornobyl nuclear power plant. Progress occurred in many areas, including reform of the State Border Guard Service and cooperation with the Ministry of Interior on cybercrime and trafficking.
• With USG support, Ukraine passed a law to combat money laundering and terrorist financing.
• The USG also funded projects to protect victims and witnesses of Trafficking in Persons (TIP) and other sensitive crimes and trained 113 judges and prosecutors in how to handle these special cases. With USG technical assistance and advocacy resources, the Law of Ukraine on Countering Trafficking in Human Beings was passed on September 21, 2011.

Governing Justly and Democratically

• BY ACCOUNT	FY 2011 ACTUAL	FY 2012 ESTIMATE	FY 2013 REQUEST
  TOTAL ($000s)	$123,243	$113,878	$104,407
  Assistance for Europe, Eurasia and Central Asia	$86,261	$79,100	$0
  Economic Support Fund	$0	$0	$53,957
  Foreign Military Financing	$8,982	$7,000	$7,000
  Global Health Programs - State	$19,378	$19,378	$27,200
  Global Health Programs - USAID	$3,997	$4,000	$7,900
  International Military Education and Training	$1,925	$1,900	$1,900
  International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement	$0	$0	$4,100
  Nonproliferation, Antiterrorism, Demining and Related Programs	$2,700	$2,500	$2,350

  To promote a free and fair media capable of critical and investigative reporting, USG programs trained 100 government press officers, conducted training seminars for 300 journalists across the country, and launched a nation-wide investigative journalism competition in conjunction with the largest nationwide daily newspaper.
• A USG-supported advocacy campaign led by local civil society and media organizations played a crucial role in advocating for the final passage of the Law on Access to Information, viewed as one of the most significant reforms in recent years.
• To protect and expand human rights, U.S. assistance trained 80 NGO activists, educated 6,000 students in eastern Ukraine, and brought government officials and prosecutors together in a series of roundtables to discuss human rights issues.
• A USG program for independent domestic oversight of the October 2010 local elections fielded 177 long-term observers and 1,428 Election Day monitors to minimize election fraud and ascertain whether voting procedures and vote tabulation were conducted fairly and legally. The monitors’ findings were widely covered in the Ukrainian and international press.
• With support from the USG, Ukraine adopted the new Law on the Judiciary and Status of Judges in 2010. This law provides the legal foundation for a more independent, accountable and transparent judiciary in Ukraine. Changes mandated by the law and promoted by the project include merit-based and objective judicial selection.

Economic Growth

• BY OBJECTIVE	FY 2011 ACTUAL	FY 2012 ESTIMATE	FY 2013 REQUEST
  TOTAL ($000s)	$123,243	$113,878	$104,407
  Peace and Security	$41,120	$36,624	$34,009
  Governing Justly and Democratically	$28,425	$28,422	$21,441
  Investing in People	$29,601	$28,056	$35,100
  Economic Growth	$23,012	$19,419	$13,057
  Humanitarian Assistance	$1,085	$1,357	$800

  To improve the environment for investment, USG programs advised the GOU on transparency in banking and international financial reporting standards, as well as the Electronic Disclosure System (ESCRIN) for publicly traded companies. USG efforts also sought to relieve domestic budget pressures, leading ultimately to the passage of a new pension bill, which significantly reduced the budget deficit.
• USG programs to increase private sector competitiveness and productivity helped streamline customs operations and increase access to financing for small and medium-sized agricultural producers. Targeted support to the tourism and agriculture sectors in Crimea resulted in a 15 percent growth rate in specific sector sales, a 10 percent increase in new customers in the tourism sector, and 25 percent growth in the agriculture sector by introducing new technologies and varieties of produce.
• USG efforts to increase local government support for the private sector have helped reduce the time and costs associated with starting and operating a business. The USG supported a total of 73 permitting offices in Ukraine to make the registration process more transparent and efficient.
• Capitalizing on local government interest, the USG’s investment in clean energy in Ukraine significantly improved municipal energy efficiency while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and natural gas consumption.. USG programs contributed to the reduction of 307 thousand metric tons of CO2 equivalent and saving 170 million cubic meters of natural gas.

Investing in People

• Partly as a result of USG programs, the annual growth rate of new HIV cases in Ukraine has dropped from 24.7 percent in 2004 to 3.5 percent in 2011.
• USG support in family planning and reproductive health (FP/RH) led the Government of Ukraine (GOU) to adopt and implement a number of policies and guidelines advancing services in this area, including one allowing patient counseling by primary health care professionals.

Humanitarian Assistance

• In FY 2011, USG humanitarian programs delivered 63 containers of donated items and excess Department of Defense (DOD) medical equipment and supplies to Ukraine, valued over $11 million. Six Small Reconstruction Projects provided structural repair to recipient institutions like regional health clinics. While a great part of the value of the program lies in the DOD excess and donated assistance items, the program itself leverages a minimal amount of U.S. funding into a multi-million dollar assistance program through public-private partnerships to create a network of aid for vulnerable groups throughout Ukraine, such as disabled miners.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Coordinator's Office Annual Reports
U.S. Embassy Website
www.foreignassistance.gov
Millennium Challenge Corporation

*This fact sheet does not reflect Peace Corps funding or centrally managed or regional Foreign Operations funding that is not specifically budgeted for Ukraine.