Prytula: Truce talks reduce donations to volunteer funds
Serhiy Prytula, the founder of the charitable foundation of the same name, told Ukrinform in a commentary.
According to him, the foundation has seen “swings” in donations during all three years of the invasion. “Now the talk that 'everything will end now' also affects people, and they decide: “Why should I donate if it's over tomorrow (tomorrow or in 30 days)?” he explained.
In general, there has been no significant drop in donations, Prytula noted: at the end of 2024, the foundation showed a result almost identical to that of 2023. However, there are times when the organization notices a drop in income.
“This happened, for example, in July 2024, when the blackouts (which caused additional expenses for generators, eco-flow, etc.) were supplemented by a terrible missile attack on Okhmatdyt. Back then, Ukrainians donated hundreds of millions of hryvnias in a few days to help the hospital,” Prytula cited an example.
According to the public figure, with limited budgets, many Ukrainians simply did not have enough money to donate to the military. He also cited the example of a surge in donations after significant events. For example, the volume of donations increased 8-10 times within a few days after Donald Trump spoke with Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office: “It was a weekend with warm weather, and donations traditionally don't come in well on weekends. And then I just saw how SMS banking was going crazy. And we saw a big increase in the overall count.”
According to the founder of the foundation, Ukrainians are “angry about all this” and have responded to the political scandal with their charitable contributions by supporting the Defense Forces.
“I keep emphasizing this: donations from individuals are emotional, they depend on many factors: the information space, public sentiment, and what is being said in your bubble,” Prytula said.
Recently, Facebook users have been actively sharing Prytula's post, in which he expressed the opinion that Ukrainians have become indifferent to the events in the war and volunteer gatherings amid talk of a ceasefire. “There, Russian military bloggers complain that their collections are falling amid talk of a ceasefire. So we have a mirror situation,” Prytula wrote. He noted that “there is no peace, no truce, no ceasefire,” urging Ukrainians to continue donating.
As reported, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said after a phone conversation with US President Donald Trump that Ukraine had agreed to a ceasefire on energy and civilian infrastructure.
However, according to him, until a document on a partial ceasefire is signed, Russia will continue air attacks on Ukraine.
