Russia is waging a war not just against the Ukrainian military, but also against the Ukrainian people. On May 23, 2024, a Russian strike destroyed the Faktur-Druk printing house in Kharkiv, one of the largest printing houses in Europe. This is part of Russia’s ongoing destruction of printing houses in Kharkiv and elsewhere in Ukraine. Kharkiv’s printing houses produce a significant percentage of all books in Ukraine, including textbooks for Ukrainian children. By striking these printing houses, Russia is attacking Ukraine’s education system. We will not let Russia succeed.
Today, we are announcing that the United States government, through USAID, is providing assistance to print more than three million textbooks for Ukrainian elementary school students ahead of this school year. These textbooks will be produced in Ukraine and delivered to more than 12,000 schools across the country. Our message is clear: We will continue to stand with the Ukrainian people as they defend against Russia’s barbaric war of aggression.
White House Washington DC June 24 2024
Critique: It appears that instead of providing Ukraine with real military aid, for which the US Congress has already allocated over 60 billion dollars—money that could be used to deliver the necessary weapons to stop Russian attacks—the Biden administration is channeling funds to “partners” in the printing business in Ukraine. These partners could potentially be used for information warfare against a competitor in the US presidential elections. Who will receive this money? What specific books will be printed, and who will decide which printing houses and publishers will receive these funds? All these questions remain unanswered.
Sources: Midtown Tribune news , WH.gov