Over more than four years of its work, the UNITED24 fundraising platform has raised nearly $4 billion to support Ukraine and brought together 145 countries and millions of people and businesses. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this during the UNITED24 Summit.
The Head of State thanked everyone who supports Ukraine, who has chosen the right side of history, and especially those who have taken on the responsibility of being UNITED24 ambassadors – being the voice of Ukraine in the world.
“I don’t know each of your roots in depth, but I am sure that you have Ukrainian hearts. Thank you for that,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized.
According to the President, there should be more ambassadors – people who sincerely support our country since the first days of the war and are doing everything they can to bring about peace.
The Head of State praised the support of ordinary people from around the world, even from countries where there is no political support for Ukraine. Today, UNITED24 donors include citizens of 145 countries, including many children. The President is convinced that if both Ukrainian children and children around the world are actively involved in helping, then saying that children are our future is not entirely accurate: children are also our present.
“And I am proud of our Ukrainian children for having this quality that already – there is no such word in Ukrainian – there is in English: resilience. And we say that we have such resilient children in Ukraine. And I am very proud that beyond our country's borders there are such strong, values-driven children who help us. We thank our children,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
The largest contributions to UNITED24 have come from the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Canada, Australia, Switzerland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Finland, Denmark, Austria, Italy, Norway, Belgium, Ireland, Japan, Poland, Lithuania, Türkiye, Singapore, Paraguay, El Salvador, and Guinea-Bissau.
The Head of State is convinced that Russia’s war against Ukraine is a test run for a war against any other state, and that this is something the world is reluctant to talk about. But it is important to understand this, speak about it honestly, and be prepared for the challenges. According to the President, it is not only about political support. What is important is that, thanks to UNITED24, ordinary people are coming together around Ukraine.
“Remaining human – that is very powerful. I think that is something very valuable. I am so glad that I live in such a country and in such a world. And I truly believe that this is not simply or only about our country. When people help defend life here, it also contributes to protecting life and providing long-term security guarantees in every country around the world,” he emphasized.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy highlighted the importance of the donations raised through the state fundraising platform – nearly $4 billion, almost 95% of which has been directed toward defense, including means that help save human lives.
“Today also marks one year since the launch of the UNITED24 app. Through the app, donors have the opportunity to directly support our well-known units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. There are many of them – Magyar’s Birds, Achilles, K-2, Phoenix, and others,” he added.
The President paid particular attention to the humanitarian support provided by UNITED24.
“This includes reconstruction and the supply of medical equipment – hundreds of ambulances – thank you very much – infant incubators for our youngest citizens – thank you very much for this – support for Ukrainian education, humanitarian demining, and support for the energy resilience of our communities. Constant, year-round support, not only when things are difficult, not only in winter,” the Head of State said.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that what matters is that this assistance goes from people to people. And every donation, every support project from different parts of the world creates a lasting emotional connection with Ukraine and strengthens faith in us and in our victory. This inspires Ukrainians to defend themselves even more persistently in this unprovoked war and to achieve such important daily results.
The President presented state awards to UNITED24 ambassadors, volunteers, and philanthropists for their continued and significant support for Ukraine. Liev Schreiber was awarded the Order of Merit, I class; the Order of Merit, III class, was awarded to Douglas Barnett, Jonathan Montgomery, Massimo Pilloni, Alison Sullivan, Ashley Grizzle Soeder, and Aleksandra Schaefer; and Katheryn Winnick was awarded the Order of Princess Olga, III class.
Background. UNITED24 is a state fundraising platform established at the initiative of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy on May 5, 2022, to collect donations from citizens, businesses, and philanthropists around the world to support Ukraine’s defense, humanitarian demining, medical assistance, reconstruction of destroyed infrastructure, as well as education and science. UNITED24 brings together 25 ambassadors – representatives of the film industry, music, sports, science, and culture.
