On March 24, President Biden announced the launch of the European Democratic Resilience Initiative (EDRI) to bolster democratic resilience, advance anti-corruption efforts, and defend human rights in Ukraine and its neighbors in response Russia's war of aggression. Working with Congress, the Biden Administration aims to harness the EDRI to provide up to $320 million in new funding to address immediate and medium-term needs in Europe and Eurasia. The EDRI will complement the global Presidential Initiative for Democratic Renewal announced by President Biden at the December 2021 Summit for Democracy, as well as efforts to counter Russia's kleptocracy through the international Russian Elites, Proxies, and Oligarchs (REPO) and the U.S.-interagency law enforcement KleptoCapture task forces. EDRI-supported programs and projects will be closely coordinated with the EU and other donors. This Fact Sheet provides information on the EDRI's initial funding priorities and focus. Additional information will be released as the U.S. Government continues to address evolving needs in Ukraine and the region.
Urgent Needs: The EDRI will prioritize support for immediate human rights priorities in Ukraine and its surrounding region, including by promoting accountability as a deterrent to further atrocities, and addressing risks to vulnerable and at-risk groups fleeing Ukraine and repression across Eurasia. Working with Congress, the State Department and USAID anticipate providing an initial $80 million of the overall EDRI funding amount to support the following urgent needs:
- Advancing Accountability: To promote justice and accountability for atrocities committed by Russia's forces in Ukraine, the EDRI will:
- Provide expert support and capacity-building for the war crimes units under the Ukrainian Office of the Prosecutor General (OPG), assisting these offices in accomplishing their mandate of investigating and prosecuting war crimes and other serious international crimes.
- Support an online platform for the documentation, verification, and dissemination of evidence of Russia's human rights violations and abuses, war crimes, and other violations of international humanitarian law in the conflict in Ukraine.
- Support the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) to expand its work in response to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
