Ukraine’s Civil Society in Crisis — DUB Calls for Immediate European Action

On June 16, 2025, the German‑Ukrainian Bureau (DUB) convened an Expert Breakfast in Berlin to address the sharp challenges confronting Ukrainian civil society following the sudden USAID withdrawal in February. Leading voices from Ukraine—Daria Kaleniuk (Anti‑Corruption Action Centre), Olena Halushka (Intermational Cetre for Ukrainian Victory & AntAC), Mykhailo Zhernakov (DeJuRe Foundation) and Martyna Boguslavets (Center for Democratic Transformation Mezha)—joined the discussion.

Main Takeaways:

• USAID’s support—totaling USD 37.6 billion since 2022 and USD 340 million across 17 major programs in 2024—has abruptly ended. The financial foundations of NGOs and independent media are crumbling, jeopardizing democratic oversight and the reform process in Ukraine.

• With Europe’s support still lagging six months post-USAID, speakers urged swift, strategic backing of Ukrainian NGOs to prevent a collapse of reform momentum and undermine EU accession prospects.

• Germany, as Ukraine's biggest supporter and Europe's economic powerhouse, can now make a difference.

• “Democracy support is defense,” said Olena Halushka. A weakened civic sector not only undermines Ukraine’s resilience; it also opens space for Russia's influence.

Alongside the event, DUB released a new Policy Brief by Inna and Mattia Nelles, which diagnoses the crisis, documents adaptive strategies from Ukrainian civil society, and outlines clear recommendations for Germany and other donors—stressing the need for coordinated, diversified funding to uphold reforms and support Ukraine’s EU path. Explore the full Policy Brief here.

This Expert Breakfast is part of the project “Continuing Successful Anti-Corruption (COSAC) Reform Initiative”, funded by the Federal Foreign Office (Auswärtiges Amt) and implemented by the German-Ukrainian Bureau (DUB) in cooperation with the Ukrainian NGO Center for Democratic Transformation “Mezha” in the EU and Ukraine.

Photos by Pavlo Slobodnychenko