Alexander Soros, the successor to his father's Open Society Foundations (OSF), a global network of influence, visited Kyiv recently to reaffirm his support for the Zelensky administration, positioning the OSF as Ukraine's largest independent financier.
This comes as the war in Ukraine, instigated by a Russian invasion nearly two years ago, continues to cause fatigue in the West. Despite the war's high cost in lives and resources, global influencers seem determined to bolster their backing for Ukraine.
The 38-year-old Soros, who assumed leadership of the OSF earlier this year, met with First Lady Olena Zelenska during his visit to Kyiv. He later joined President Zelensky in a discussion about the plight of Ukrainian children in Russian-occupied territories. During his visit, Soros pledged $1 million to First Lady Zelenska's charity and announced a partnership with the OSF.
The Soros influence has been deeply rooted in Ukraine since the Soviet Union's collapse, with the establishment of the International Renaissance Foundation (IRF) in Kyiv in 1990. The Soros network asserts that the IRF has been the "largest independent funder of Ukraine's vibrant array of civil society and citizen's groups for more than three decades."
In the past decade, the Open Society has granted over $230 million to various organizations in Ukraine, with a significant focus on the education system and media. This includes the launch of the National Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine in 2015. "The foundation has supported the development of independent media outlets in Ukraine and has supported a range of fact-checking initiatives and other efforts to counter disinformation and promote informed public debate," the Open Society stated last month.
The Soros network has consistently advocated for Ukraine's inclusion in the European Union. George Soros acknowledged his "important part" in supporting the 2014 Euromaidan protests that overthrew the democratically elected government of Viktor Yanukovych. This was due to Yanukovych's refusal to sever ties with Russia entirely in favor of the EU.
Following Yanukovych's overthrow, Russia invaded and annexed Crimea, leading to an intermittent conflict with Ukraine. However, the Open Society isn't the only global institution exerting influence over Ukraine. Wall Street giants like BlackRock and JPMorgan are reportedly preparing to "mobilize capital from private and public sector investors toward rebuilding the Ukrainian economy." This is expected to yield significant profits when reconstruction efforts commence post-war.
President Zelensky had previously estimated the cost of rebuilding his country to exceed one trillion dollars over a year ago.
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