Nikita Poturaev/Photo: Glavkom
Kyiv, 21 March 2025 – Mykyta Poturaiev, Member of the Ukrainian Parliament and Vice-President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, has warned that more than half of the independent media in Ukraine may cease to operate in 2025 due to the closure of USAID programmes. He said this during an OSCE meeting, according to the website of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defence and Intelligence on 19 March.
According to Poturaev, about 70 per cent of the media under threat of closure are regional publications. “We may lose almost all regional media in Ukraine. Why? Because the US is cutting funding. I’m sorry, but it’s true. Do you know who is not cutting funding? Russia. And, of course, China,” he stressed. The MP stressed that the reduction of support for independent media is actually a contribution to the spread of Russian propaganda, lies and disinformation.
Poturaev called on European countries to create an independent fund for long-term media funding. “We need long-term financial mechanisms, not short-term grants. Propaganda does not stop. And the truth should not stop either,” he added.
Meanwhile, the European Union is preparing a new €10 million support package for independent media in Ukraine, EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Mathernova told Ukrainian Radio. According to her, since 2017, the EU has invested more than €100 million in support of independent media and media in conflict zones, and since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022, about €37 million.
“We currently have a €10 million support package for this year for independent media in Ukraine. 7 million of this will be provided through our partners. And in May, the EU delegation will announce a competition for 3 million in two areas: investigative journalism and support for local and regional media,” Mathernova said.
The situation with media funding in Ukraine remains critical, as regional media, which play a key role in countering disinformation, are under particular threat. Experts note that without stable international support, the country’s information space may become more vulnerable to the influence of hostile propaganda.
