Notice Contents
Friday, February 24, will mark the 1-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Despite severe sanctions and international condemnation, Russia continues to mount attacks against Ukraine, resulting in severe humanitarian and economic hardship. In response, the United States government has committed more than $113 billion of taxpayer resources to support Ukraine.
The complexity, scale, and timing of U.S. efforts in response to Russia’s war against Ukraine demand robust oversight, which is our top priority. We are leveraging our extensive knowledge of the programs and operations of the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for Global Media to provide timely and critical information for Congress and the U.S. taxpayer. We have focused our resources, including recent supplemental funding, to prevent and detect fraud, waste, and abuse in three high-risk areas:
- Security assistance and coordination
- Humanitarian and economic assistance and coordination
- Diplomatic operations and programs
My recent trip to Germany, Poland, and Ukraine confirmed that we are focusing on the highest priority areas.
We know that multiple federal agencies are also responding to the crisis. Since the summer of 2022, we have been working diligently and coordinating with offices across the inspector general community, including those at the Department of Defense and the U.S. Agency for International Development, to provide the comprehensive oversight our stakeholders require. Through this collaboration, we have established a robust interagency oversight working group, comprised of auditors, inspectors, investigators, and other oversight professionals. The working group meets on a regular basis to share information, coordinate oversight of the U.S. government’s Ukraine response, and identify and address potential duplication and gaps in oversight coverage.
One of the results of our coordination is the first Joint Strategic Oversight Plan for Ukraine Response. It is a whole-of-government plan that includes 64 ongoing projects and 14 completed projects related to oversight of the U.S. government’s extensive response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. As the U.S. government’s Ukraine response evolves, our plans will also evolve to ensure we are targeting oversight to the highest risk areas.
Follow our work in this area by visiting OIG’s Ukraine Response Oversight page. Contact us at [email protected] for additional information.
Diana Shaw
Deputy Inspector General
performing the duties of the Inspector General