Independent media in Russia and Ukraine have been critical of their governments and provide alternative reporting, but much of it relied on U.S. grants.

Some NGOs on the ground speculated that cutting off U.S. support for the free press and health systems could be a gift to Russian forces still seeking a win three years after invading Ukraine.

Ben Stiller has declared that social media posts making the rounds online, which allege that he used American tax dollars to fund his 2022 trip to Ukraine, are "totally false" and "untrue." The There's Something About Mary actor and the producer of Apple TV+ series Severance reposted social media messages that decried the use of public funds to send celebrities like himself to Ukraine to,

Actor and director Ben Stiller is shutting down a false claim on social media amplified by Elon Musk claiming that Stiller and other actors were paid millions by USAID to make trips to Ukraine.

Ben Stiller is setting the record straight about his humanitarian trip to Ukraine ... denying he ever received any payment from USAID to visit the war-torn country.

Ben Stiller visited Ukraine in mid-June 2022. He met with Ukrainian refugees and visited recently liberated towns and villages in Kyiv Oblast. He also met with President Zelenskyy. Read also: Musk and Trump Jr.