Netflix Co-Founder Donates $2 Million to Support Ukraine

Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings, who currently serves as the streaming platform's chief executive, has donated $2 million to the White Stork charity, which provides assistance to Ukraine, Deadline reports.  

In the US, the foundation is headed by US Army veterans, and in Ukraine, it operates as the Leleka-Ukraine charity. The organisation has been operating in Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.  

It is noted that the funds will be used to purchase systems for jamming drones, as well as other assistance to combat medics on the front line. Each such system can cost up to $6,000.  

White Stork is the largest charity provider of individual first aid kits in Ukraine, having delivered more than 120,000 first aid kits since the beginning of the war. The organisation also provides critical needs such as demining equipment, armoured blankets, trench shovels and bulletproof vests.  

‘The men and women fighting in Ukraine are not professional soldiers. They are civilians who have been drawn into this war for the survival of the country. As veterans, we have seen the horrors of war and know how to deliver aid directly to the frontline. Reed's gift to support Ukraine means their survival,’ said William McNulty, CEO of White Stork and a US Marine Corps veteran.  

This is Hastings' second major donation to support the Ukrainian people: two years ago, he donated $1 million to the Razom for Ukraine charity.

As The Gaze previously reported, the Ukrainian Film Academy and Netflix have announced a grant programme for screenwriters and producers from Ukraine. The aim of the programme is to help Ukrainian creators who have been affected or displaced by the war to continue and develop their work.