Pro-LGBT Norwegian fund allocates €1.5 million to Ukrainian journalists

Ukraine Recovery Conference in Kyiv. Photo: Berezhna's Facebook page

The Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), known for its extensive funding of LGBT organizations around the world, will allocate €1.5 million to support Ukrainian media and civil society structures. The announcement was made by Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister for Humanitarian Affairs, Tetiana Berezhna, on her Facebook page.

The announcement was made on June 28, 2026, during the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdańsk, Poland, at a panel discussion titled “Recovery Under Fire: Protecting Trust, Media, and Transparency from Russia’s Cognitive Warfare.” The funds will be distributed by the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR), a partner organization of NORAD. The money is intended to strengthen independent journalism and enhance the resilience of Ukrainian media outlets.

Although Berezhna’s post does not explicitly state that the funding will go to journalists promoting LGBT-related issues, NORAD’s website contains reports highlighting its financial support for homosexual communities and LGBT initiatives in Ukraine.

At the same time, NORAD has continued to expand its funding of LGBT-related initiatives internationally. In 2025, the agency allocated an additional 20 million Norwegian kroner to support LGBT organizations, while Norway’s 2026 state budget includes another 12.4 million kroner for the same purpose. Beneficiaries include organizations such as FRI, Front Line Defenders, Outright International, and Synergia.

According to NORAD officials, the aim of the program is to “protect the very essence of human rights” by increasing the visibility of and support for LGBT communities in various countries, including Ukraine.

As the UOJ reported, Volodymyr Zelensky expressed support for LGBT individuals, while a Pride march was recently held in Kyiv.

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