USAID’s Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) is based on the foundational demand expressed by Ukrainians during the Revolution of Dignity that they should live in an independent, democratic, prosperous, and healthy Ukraine united around core European values. Ukraine’s commitment and capacity to progress towards self-reliance is hampered by an ongoing two-front war -- against Russia’s full scale aggression on the one hand, and against its internal legacy of corruption on the other -- with deep consequences for the future of Europe, regional stability, and the United States, for whom a strong and free Europe is a cornerstone national security goal. For the next five years, the Mission will focus on ensuring that Ukraine is more secure from the existential threats of corruption and Russia's aggression, and that its capacity and commitment to self-reliance is advanced through transformational sector reforms. Ukrainians see their country on a new path towards a European, self-reliant future. They demand an independent Ukraine not solely reliant on any single external actor; a democratic, accountable, and transparent government; a prosperous nation that invests in and mobilizes its rich human capital and private sector; and Ukrainians that are healthy, not held back from their innate potential. The core European values they demand refer not only to the European Union (EU) normative framework, but a broader recognition of the values of democracy, human rights, diversity, and inclusion. Lastly, a united Ukraine foresees that these opportunities, systems, and values are shared by all its citizens in their rich diversity and that Ukraine is territorially whole.
Ukraine’s success—or failure—in responding to the challenges and opportunities described herein and its success on its journey to self-reliance will be deeply consequential for the United States and its overarching goal of protecting the American homeland, people, and way of life. The 2017 U.S. National Security Strategy (NSS) affirms that “a strong and free Europe is of vital importance to the United States,” and emphasizes that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and continued use of subversive measures has demonstrated its willingness to violate state sovereignty and use myriad tools to destabilize the region. This is affirmed by the 2018 U.S. National Defense Strategy analysis that “Russia seeks veto authority over nations on its periphery in terms of their governmental, economic, and diplomatic decisions, to shatter the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and change European and Middle East security and economic structures to its favor. The use of emerging technologies to discredit and subvert democratic processes in Georgia, Crimea, and eastern Ukraine is concern enough, but when coupled with its expanding and modernizing nuclear arsenal the challenge is clear.”
USAID’s efforts in Ukraine are critical to countering these attempts to weaken the credibility of America’s commitment to Europe. Ukraine is the proving ground for numerous tools—including cyberattacks, disinformation, and targeted assassinations—in the arsenal of a key American adversary that could be used to threaten the United States and our allies. USAID will make America more secure and contribute to priority actions under the NSS by strengthening cooperation on cybersecurity, countering Russia’s information aggression, and strategically leveraging conditionalities and joint action to incentivize reforms that will further develop Ukraine’s capacity and commitment to function as a self-reliant economic, diplomatic, and security partner. USAID’s strategic approach and commitment to learning and adaptation will ensure that we work with reformers and synchronize diplomatic, economic, and security assistance to maximize American taxpayer investments toward ensuring that Europe is prosperous and stable, and can help defend our shared interests and ideals.
Extended through: January 9, 2024
This CDCS was developed and finalized in 2020 as COVID-19 became a global pandemic. USAID/Ukraine will continue to monitor its potential impact and if needed, the Mission will re-evaluate the strategic approach.
