America will finance the production of over 3 million school texts for Ukrainian students, following the Russian destruction of printing facilities.
Russia's attacks on Ukrainian printing presses aim to hinder the production of Ukrainian textbooks and the educational growth of Ukrainian kids, as stated by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in a declaration to CNN. Refusing to let Russia prevail, the United States is giving aid to publish over three million textbooks for Ukrainian elementary school students prior to this academic year, totaling roughly $8 million.
Sullivan emphasized, "Our stance is crystal clear: We will carry on supporting the Ukrainian people as they resist Russia's brutal war of aggression."
The financial assistance towards textbook production is part of the Biden administration's policy modifications designed to bolster Ukraine's military resistance against Russia. The administration has now approved the use of US weapons in strikes directed at Russian territories where Russian troops are launching cross-border assaults into Ukraine – a shift first disclosed in late May when Ukraine was attempting to thwart Russian advances towards Kharkiv.
The administration also places a premium on crucial air defense capabilities for Ukraine over other nations.
"This all goes hand in hand in supporting the Ukrainian military to safeguard its airspace and also ensuring that Ukraine can educate its students," a senior administration official explained.
"Propping up their military is merely part of the equation," the official clarified to CNN. "We also comprehend that Russia is attempting to do something broader than that, which is to assail Ukraine's culture, history, and identity, and we must respond accordingly."
Ukraine's largest printing facility, Faktor Druk, was damaged in a Russian missile attack on Kharkiv in late May. According to the official, it is estimated that Ukraine will need six to eight months to restore Faktor Druk.
Following the strike, Sullivan ordered his team to address the aftermath as a matter of urgency, ensuring that educational materials reach Ukrainian students. After talks between the National Security Council, the US Embassy in Kyiv, the US Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Ukrainian government, it was decided that by employing "existing resources and programs," the US, through USAID, would provide roughly $8 million to fund the printing of the textbooks.
The official revealed, "We zeroed in on hardcover textbooks for first and second graders in Ukraine as the area with the most pressing need, working together with them to identify facilities where these materials can be produced and printed."
The 3.2 million textbooks will be printed at other Ukrainian printing houses and distributed to approximately 12,700 schools across Ukraine by September 2024.
Ukraine's Ambassador to the US, Oksana Markarova, lauded the funding for textbook printing as "extremely timely and highly valued by the people of Ukraine."
"This funding is particularly significant because it will be provided to Ukrainian printing houses. It represents another investment in our future, and our struggle for justice and humanity," Markarova stated in a statement to CNN. "Like so much needed support with defense and weapons, this is yet another sign of our strong strategic alliance between our nations. As President Zelensky said: 'the partnership between Ukraine and the US is robust and unwavering.'"
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The United States is providing fundings worth approximately $8 million to publish over three million textbooks for Ukrainian elementary school students, as a response to Russia's destructive attacks on Ukrainian printing presses.
The financial aid is aimed at addressing the urgent need for textbooks in Ukraine, with a focus on hardcover textbooks for first and second graders, following the damage on Ukraine's largest printing facility, Faktor Druk.
