THE CURIOUS CASE OF UNITED24
by Keith Salter
UNITED24 describes itself as “the official fundraising platform of Ukraine.” And then further elaborates that its technical purpose is to host a “platform [that] allows one-click donations to Ukraine from anywhere.” Before informing the reader that its strategic purpose is “to establish an efficient work process that brings Ukraine’s victory closer.” Its slick website contains a page dedicated to project Ambassadors, which includes still photographs of celebrity promoters. The UNITED24 campaign is apparently a recruitment programme designed to onboard eminent personalities that are willing to promote its aims and objectives. Once onboarded, these celebrities identify an area of designated interest from a predetermined list of five. The five areas for investment are identified on the UNITED24 website as Defence, Humanitarian Demining, Medical Aid, Rebuild Ukraine, and Education and Science. Each celebrity then shills for additional donations, whilst making a brief statement relevant to their own actions, and in relation to the chosen area of investment.
The recruitment programme has been an ongoing concern since 2022. Key personalities lending public support to UNITED24 and its campaign, include actors Mark Hamill, Bear Grylls, Barbara Streisand, Liev Schreiber, and Mark Strong. A significant personality also listed here is Richard Branson who is described here as a “billionaire philanthropist.” The website states that billionaire philanthropist Branson “visited Ukraine in September 2014 and held a press conference, where he voiced his anti-Putin position.” Branson then visited Ukraine again “in the summer of 2022 visiting the destroyed airport in Hostomel.” During Branson’s “next visit in 2023 he met with President Volodymyr Zelensky and joined the fundraising platform UNITED24 as an ambassador.” Branson’s reaction to the role of ambassador for UNITED24, is described on the website in this manner: “Faced with this horrific war, Ukraine has become a beacon of determination and hope for the world. It is a great honor for me to become an Ambassador for UNITED24. I look forward to using Virgin Unite’s global reach and networks to help support the great work UNITED24 is doing.” In light of this, it is not difficult to discern a direct link between billionaire philanthropist Branson and the Ukrainian government that travels as far back as September 2014.
BACKGROUND ON UKRAINE 2014
Earlier that same year, Ukraine experienced significant social upheaval. It was in February 2014 when the Maidan culminated. The Maidan included mass protests in which neo-Nazis provided muscle to oust the sitting Yanukovych government. The same neo-Nazis were subsequently awarded four ministries in the incoming nationalist government. A month later in March, the Crimean people voted to secede from Ukraine and to join the Russian Federation. During April, an uprising broke out in the east and south when local ethnic Russians began “fighting on their home turf for their futures.” The new nationalist government sent in neo-Nazi stormtroopers (who had been incorporated into the National Guard) to quell the uprising. This meeting of opposing forces marked the beginning of serious hostilities that can be described as a shooting war. In May 2014, Ukrainian neo-Nazis set fire to the Odessa Trades Hall building. Many people were seeking refuge within the building at the time of the arson attack. 48 people died that day. Some jumped out of burning windows and were then clubbed to death by neo-Nazis as they lay upon the ground.
MONEY MATTERS
The website claims that the current total amount of donations arriving in Ukraine via the UNITED24 web portal exceeds $645 million. As mentioned, these contributions can be allocated to one of five areas. For example, actor Mark Hamill has selected the Defence investment area, and has so far donated nearly $300,000 and “continues collecting funds towards 10 Danish RQ-35 Heidrun reconnaissance drones.” Another example includes historian Timothy Snyder, a professor at Yale University. Like Hamill, Snyder has also selected the Defence investment area. Snyder states that he wants to “raise funds to help Ukraine defend itself against killer drones.” According to the website, Snyder has to date contributed $1.3 million for the procurement (and ongoing maintenance?) of the Shahed Hunter anti-drone system. No investment area or financial contribution is listed in relation to Richard Branson.
COMPANY INVOLVEMENT
There are currently 53 companies listed on the website as supporting UNITED24’s aims and objectives. Amongst the companies listed are Pandora, Visa, Spotify, Bayer, Grammarly, Deloitte, Uber, and Balenciaga. It is not known how precisely these companies interact with UNITED24 and its stated aims and objectives.
SUMMATION
In sum, the UNITED24 operation seeks to generate capital of two varieties. Firstly, it remains evident that financial capital is being raised to support the Ukrainian military effort. Money for drones are war contributions. Secondly, the public nature of the slickly designed website, indicates that political capital is also sought. The UNITED24 website serves as promotional material for the idea of an anti-Russia situated on Russia’s doorstep. Various high profile personalities, as well as well-known companies, have openly and publicly pledged their allegiance to this impossible idea. But it apparently remains an idea that public figures like Hamill, Snyder, and Branson wish to see realised. Moreover, the website acts as recruitment portal for others who may share these delusions of victory for Ukraine. All should know, only Russia can win this war. Hence, one may wonder what $645 million has been thrown towards. One may also quite sensibly wonder where precisely this cash hoard is being stored and who has control over it.
REFERENCES
Parry, Robert. Who’s Telling the ‘Big Lie’ on Ukraine? Consortium News. 08-12-2021.
UNITED24. (Website)
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