A Year Later, We Must Continue to Stand with Ukraine

By Lisa Coll, EF President

Today marks one year since Russia launched a brutal and unprovoked attack on the sovereign state of Ukraine. On this somber anniversary, we at Eurasia Foundation reaffirm our enduring commitment to a free, prosperous, and democratic Ukraine. We stand in solidarity with our friends, colleagues, and partners, many of whom choose to remain in Ukraine, their beloved home. We remember all those who have lost their lives and livelihoods in pursuit of freedom.

I remain deeply inspired and humbled by the bravery and resilience of the Ukrainian people. This was a year of extraordinary hardship, and also of extraordinary courage. In this fight, Ukrainians are standing for not only their own sovereignty, but also the sovereignty of democracies around the world.

Please pause today to reflect and pay tribute to the unmatched fortitude of the people of Ukraine. Please also consider donating to the following organizations, each of which delivers critical humanitarian assistance directly to civilians. Slava Ukraini!

The Shelter Program: Eurasia Foundation, in partnership with the Kyiv-based East Europe Foundation, is equipping schools in Ukraine with shelters and mental health resources to ensure the physical and psychological safety of children, teachers, and families under attack, and facilitate continued learning during war. Please consider donating here.

Organizations in Ukraine: As the war drags on, many local initiatives risk running out of resources, both human and material. Please consider donating to the following grassroots Ukrainian organizations: 

• Kyiv School of Economics is raising funds to supply food, transportation, medicine, first aid, and protective kits to Ukrainian defenders.
• Vostok-SOS assists internally displaced people in finding shelter, evacuating conflict zones, and navigating legal systems.
• Women for Women provides a platform for women to share their stories and ask for help in their own words. Donors can support women to buy food, medicine, legal and psychosocial support.
• Freefilmers Mariupol is raising funds for fuel, food, medicine, and emergency expenses, and providing humanitarian aid to the most vulnerable, including Roma communities, rural women, and people with disabilities.
• Women’s Solidarity Ukraine is a coalition of ten women-led Ukrainian organizations committed to providing humanitarian assistance to women on issues ranging from emergency supplies to legal aid.
• Good Bread is a Kyiv bakery employing people with disabilities to provide bread for people in need. Since last February, it has baked more than 160,000 loaves for people across the country, even amid frequent power outages caused by Russian bombing.
• Kyiv Independent is an independent, English-language publication based in Ukraine and reporting on the crisis.

Organizations in Neighboring Countries: Many Ukrainians have fled the country and are struggling to build a new life. The following organizations support refugees outside Ukraine.

• Help Ukraine is a supply center based near the Ukraine-Poland border that collects medical and humanitarian resources and distributes them to those in need.
• Cards for Ukraine provides food vouchers to refugees in Austria.
• Ocalenie (“Rescue”) Foundation helps refugees build a new life in Poland, with assistance locating housing, filling out documents, finding therapy, learning Polish, and accessing legal assistance.

Other Recommended Organizations:  The following organizations come highly recommended by our Ukrainian colleagues and partners. 

• Razom (“Together”) for Ukraine purchases and distributes emergency medical supplies as well as food, blankets, and supplies for people displaced by the conflict. Razom for Ukraine is a 501(c)(3).
• United Help Ukraine provides emergency medical supplies and humanitarian aid to internally displaced people in Ukraine, supports wounded warriors, and assists families of those wounded or killed. United Help Ukraine is a 501(c)(3).
• International Rescue Committee is helping vulnerable families in Ukraine and mobilizing local organizations in Poland and Ukraine to provide critical aid to refugees.
• Ukrainian Red Cross provides comprehensive emergency services within Ukraine, including food and water, first aid, psychological support, and safe evacuation assistance.
• CARE is providing food, water, hygiene kits, psychosocial support, and cash assistance, with special attention to women and girls, families, and the elderly.

Non-Monetary Assistance: If you cannot donate, please share the resources above with your networks and consider donating your time and expertise to the following groups. 

• Razom for Ukraine is seeking volunteers with professional backgrounds in the healthcare and legal fields in the U.S. and Europe.
• Respond Crisis Translation is recruiting Ukrainian and Russian speakers to assist Ukrainians seeking legal aid.
• ENGin pairs Ukrainians with English-speaking volunteers for free online conversation practice.