I support the suspension of all USAID projects and their audit, but there are two issues, according to Maryan Zablotsky.

I fully support the termination of all USAID projects and their audits. Currently, there are 112 active projects in Ukraine totaling $7 billion, spread over the years. It seems all nice and neat, right?

No. The first problem: nearly all of them boil down to endless round tables and conferences, rendering them ineffective and pointless. The second, and more significant issue: a large portion of these funds remains in the U.S. as pure profit for the private companies executing these grants.

To finally achieve some changes, I am starting to publish reports on these projects. Here’s the first striking example: $297 million allocated for communications over three years. Who in the cultural sphere is aware that we received enough funding to shoot movies for which "Avatar 3" could realistically be made? Russians allocate a similar amount from their state budget for their cinema, and you understand that they are not shy about spending on propaganda.

So, what masterpieces are being created with these funds? Here are some selected items from the first half of 2024:

• Support for the creation of a YouTube talk show titled "Ebaout."
• Support for the musical group TVORCHI in creating a song and performing at concerts in selected cities of Ukraine (1 musical composition "Razom" has been created and distributed).
• The NGO "Zmini," also known as Don’t Take Fake (DTF), is a prominent influencer and supporter of the electronic music scene with prior experience in organizing outstanding cultural events, including the first camp for electronic musicians, Mirage Camp. DTF will host an electronic music residency bringing together creative individuals for networking, collaboration, and new product development.
• Support for the NGO "CUKR" in organizing a series of cultural events during the summer season at "Dvorik na Kuznechnoy." A mural has been created at "Dvorik na Kuznechnoy."
• Support for Film UA in producing a documentary titled "Testo." Research, introductory meetings with the series creators, and a trip to Vienna.
• Support for Ukrainian producer Tatyana Postavnaya and media personality Vladimir Dantes in creating a reality show about the restoration of cultural spaces in frontline settlements and recently liberated areas.
• The first episode of the "CollegeCheck" project has been released.
• The second season of the "Ukrainian Palaces. Golden Days" project has been released.

And there are dozens of such projects. Perhaps someone needs them. But why should American taxpayers be funding this? I don’t quite understand. And why don’t we request funds for something clearly more necessary?

I also have no grievances against the artists as performers. However, in any reality, spending $297 million on such projects is simply unjustifiable! Most of the funds end up as pure profit for a private company in the U.S., even without the knowledge of the aforementioned recipients.

The new head of the State Department, Marco Rubio, has long wanted reform. I clearly remember discussions with his team, who suggested that funds should go directly to countries rather than enriching a few individuals in the States under the guise of helping other nations. I had a lengthy discussion with them after an article published in Forbes on this topic back in 2016.

I was infuriated by how $100,000 could be spent on a bill, on just one clause of a bill in the agricultural sector, and a poorly conceived one at that!

I am very glad that the time for change has come. I will actively communicate to ensure that the reforms dreamed of by Marco Rubio are realized. In the meantime, I will be publishing reports on some of the USAID projects here so that we can finally take responsibility and start asking the right questions about where the dollars have disappeared.

Especially a question for our ministries, regardless of who is in charge, who continuously sign off on reports that lack any specifics. And those who are afraid to ask American private contractors the same: "Where is all this money?".

I urge every ministry not to sign any report until an audit is conducted in the U.S. Ideally, they should initiate it themselves at the ministry level!

Personally, I will propose the following ideas to the State Department:

• All assistance is spent exclusively in Ukraine through non-profit organizations, and no more than 10% of the project goes to foreign consultants;
• Conferences and round tables are rare and only in exceptional cases, held in modest hotels with modest catering, no business class travel;
• Complete transparency of the entire project with public salaries for all participants and all expenses;
• All services are procured through genuinely public tenders;
• No irrelevant topics or propaganda of unclear values or projects with dubious necessity.
• With significantly fewer resources, we can accomplish much more with the help of the U.S.

In the meantime, I will announce the publication of reports on various projects. There’s a lot of "interesting" content there. What a cinema.