Poll shows Ukrainians divided over suspension of USAID funding
Pravda Ukraine
A total of 69% of surveyed Ukrainians believe that suspending USAID funding will have some or significant negative consequences for Ukraine. At the same time, 59% see it as partly justified, thinking that some projects “wasted money or focused on unnecessary activities”.
Source: a survey conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) in early February
Details: 22% of respondents believe suspending USAID funding will have a major negative impact. They say the projects played a key role in Ukraine’s development. Meanwhile, 12% think it won’t matter much. They argue that many projects wasted money or focused on unnecessary work.
The largest group – 47% – expects some negative impact. However, they also see it as fair punishment for those who misused funds or worked on unimportant projects. Another 19% remain undecided.
The KIIS says that opinions on USAID funding are similar across regions. Attitudes remain mixed everywhere.
Sociologists highlight that USAID projects covered many areas, from education to media. They also note that most Ukrainians knew little about these projects.
The survey was conducted from 4 to 9 February through telephone interviews using a random sample of mobile numbers. It included 1,000 respondents aged 18 and older from all government-controlled regions of Ukraine.
Under normal circumstances, the statistical margin of error for this sample, with a 95% confidence level and a design effect of 1.3, would not exceed 4.1% for figures around 50%, 3.5% for those near 25%, 2.5% for those close to 10%, and 1.8% for figures around 5%.
Sociologists note that some systematic bias may be present in addition to the formal margin of error due to the ongoing war. However, they are confident that the results remain highly representative and provide a reliable insight into public sentiment.
Background:
- On 25 January, the United States froze all non-military international assistance for 90 days, and USAID’s work was effectively shut down.
- On 7 February, USAID employees worldwide were placed on administrative leave. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio became the acting head of USAID.
- According to media reports, the Trump administration plans to reduce the number of USAID employees from more than 10,000 to less than 300.
- The media also reported that on 11 February, US President Donald Trump’s administration fired the inspector general of the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
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