PPI - Radically Pragmatic
  • Donate
Skip to content
  • Home
  • About
    • About Us
    • Locations
    • Careers
  • People
  • Projects
  • Our Work
  • Events
  • Donate

Our Work

Jacoby for The Bulwark: What USAID Really Did in Ukraine

  • February 11, 2025
  • Tamar Jacoby

Amid the tide of bilge—lies, personal smears, conspiracy theories, and other drivel—offered by the Trump administration in the last two weeks as an alleged rationale for shutting down USAID and ending America’s decades-long tradition of foreign aid, one legitimate question stands out: How exactly is foreign aid in America’s interest? Or, to put it another way: How and to what extent do we benefit from spending money to improve conditions and better lives in other countries?

Consider USAID’s portfolio in Ukraine, which expanded sharply after Russia’s invasion in 2022—from $200 million in 2021 to $16 billion in 2023, adding up to some $35 billion in the past three years. USAID has served as the primary funnel for America’s nonlethal support for Ukraine, now the agency’s largest recipient worldwide.

The expansion of assistance to Ukraine originally enjoyed strong bipartisan support. According to a public “exit memo” by Biden administration USAID Administrator Samantha Power, the agency leveraged a three-to-one match by other donors, including the private sector and allied countries. Funding was spread across an array of projects, from humanitarian aid for elderly residents holding out in the rubble of ruined frontline cities to digital innovation designed to reduce corruption and keep government services running.

Keep reading in The Bulwark.

Related Work

Op-Ed  |  August 27, 2025

Jacoby for Forbes: Ukraine Looks Abroad For Joint Ventures To Boost Its Defense Industry

  • Tamar Jacoby
Feature  |  August 20, 2025

Jacoby for Washington Monthly: Trump, Zelensky, and European Leaders Got Along—Mostly by Sidestepping the Big Issues

  • Tamar Jacoby
Podcast  |  August 18, 2025

Jacoby on Washington Monthly’s Politics Roundtable: Trump Just Gave Putin Everything He Wanted

  • Tamar Jacoby
Op-Ed  |  August 18, 2025

Jacoby for Washington Monthly: How to Reverse Trump’s Capitulation to Putin

  • Tamar Jacoby
Feature  |  August 11, 2025

Jacoby for Washington Monthly: Ukrainian Fighters Aren’t Expecting Much from the Trump-Putin Summit

  • Tamar Jacoby
Podcast  |  July 24, 2025

Jacoby on Chew’s Views Podcast

  • Tamar Jacoby
  • Never miss an update:

  • Subscribe to our newsletter
PPI Logo
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Donate
  • Careers
  • © 2025 Progressive Policy Institute. All Rights Reserved.
  • |
  • Privacy Policy
  • |
  • Privacy Settings