Americans on the ground in Ukraine think their country needs to do more for Ukrainian society than passively sending dollars. While the West has given billions in military and humanitarian aid to the country, Ukrainians are dealing with complex wartime issues and internal corruption on their own. I spoke with two Americans working in Ukraine—an independent contractor and a non-profit leader—to hear how they think America can help reconstruct the country’s democratic institutions and businesses after the war. In order to earn a say in the country’s reconstruction, the U.S. needs to support and mentor Ukrainian private and civil society organizations now, before the window of opportunity closes.
American support for Ukraine has been almost totally financial. According to Michael Kupier, a former Naval Officer and American crisis response consultant in Ukraine, this is because the U.S. doesn’t want a strong physical presence in the country to feed Putin’s “U.S. proxy war” narrative. On top of this, rather than funding U.S. organizations in the region, a Biden-era USAID initiative has prompted the U.S. to focus on localizing funding to the Ukrainian military, government, and other regional organizations.
While localizing funds is critical for making projects sustainable, Ukraine needs and wants more guidance to integrate with the West. The country recently became a candidate for E.U. membership—provided it addresses corruption. Ukraine ranks as one of the most corrupt countries in Europe, and the government and powerful oligarchs run many industries. The U.S. and international community are tracking aid and demanding accountability to limit corruption, but it may not be enough for lasting change.
Meanwhile Ukranians are fed up. Kupier thinks western companies and civil society organizations should have the support of the U.S. government to go to Ukraine and partner on projects with Ukrainian organizations, sharing some hard won tools and expertise. By sharing democratic values and promoting transparency in business, the U.S. could help empower Ukrainian organizations to mitigate corruption in the nation.
“Localization shouldn’t mean that it’s only Ukrainian organizations leading some of these efforts we think are important,” Kupier said, “it’s also having the oversight and the mentorship from western companies that have experience in other countries doing some of these things.”
Kupier works on demining and security operations in Ukraine, and has seen opportunities for mentorship and growth across various industries like media, transportation, logistics, and civil society. He says that Ukrainian industries “have been doing things in the Soviet Union method for so many years they don’t know how to not — or it's very hard for them to shift their mentality.” Supporting this shift could include sharing independent fundraising methods, helping Ukrainians identify and avoid corruption, or sharing modern transportation and logistics strategies.
One American non-profit is already demonstrating the power of this kind of partnership. The Ukrainian Freedom Fund is a U.S. based nonprofit established in Ukraine by Nicolas Woods, also a former Naval Officer. Woods said regional nonprofits and civil society organizations have been the ones filling humanitarian and logistical gaps left by governments and international aid groups.
Woods lives in Kyiv and has transported humanitarian aid throughout Ukraine since the start of the war. He frequently works with Ukrainian non-government organizations and volunteers, and said they’re often surprised to see a foreigner working alongside them. According to Woods, no commercial organizations, or even the United Nations, were bringing goods past Lviv for a long time. Whether because of physical danger, or the fear of fueling Putin’s narrative that westerners are fighting a proxy war in the country, governments and international organizations are opting to send money instead of being physically involved.
“I think there is an immense amount of pressure placed on Ukrainians,” Woods told me from his apartment in Kyiv. “For some, that increases their drive to perform well as an NGO, but for others it just makes them pessimistic.” Physically working alongside Western partners makes these groups feel like they’re not standing alone against Russia.
Kupier and Woods independently shared their concerns about how fragile the war has rendered Ukrainian democracy. Even if Ukraine prevails, the aftermath will leave the country physically and institutionally shattered. “Whoever is in charge after the war, they better be for the people, otherwise democracy is at stake,” Kupier told me. “There is going to be a lot of money in rebuilding Ukraine, and if nationalized industries aren’t transitioned to public-private partnerships, there's going to be a lot of really bad feelings.” Without intervention by western mentorship, Ukraine could fall into another military or authoritarian regime.
The window of opportunity is closing for the international community to get involved in Ukrainian reconstruction. “Right now is the time to help them, because they need the help, and they know that they need the help on all levels,” Kupier told me. After the war anyone wanting to help rebuild the nation will have to give an account of how they contributed during the hard times to prove they can be trusted.
Physically operating in Ukraine carries serious risks, but it could powerfully impact the future of Ukraine. By creating supportive connections with civil society organizations and businesses in Ukraine, U.S. organizations could build trust for future reconstruction projects and give communities much needed hope.
Emily Schroen (@emschroen) is a global nonprofit development specialist with a focus on humanitarian aid, education, and international relations. She has worked with refugees and displaced people in the U.S., Spain, Poland, and recently returned from a humanitarian aid mission in Ukraine with Americans for Ukraine, a U.S.-based nonprofit supporting refugees in Poland. Her recent work has been featured in The Diplomat. The views expressed are the author's own.
