Donation streaming service Stopify established in Latvia to support Ukraine

RIGA - A group of like-minded people, in cooperation with the charity organization Ziedot.lv and the Embassy of Ukraine in Latvia, has created a streaming service called Stopify for small but regular donations in the format of a monthly subscription to help provide the acute daily needs of the Ukrainian army in the harsh winter conditions and help them end the mindless war started by Russia sooner, LETA was informed by project representatives.

The platform works according to the monthly subscription principle - the user chooses one of three "subscription plans", which can be changed or canceled at any time. The donation goes to Ziedot.lv's special Stopify fund. The collected funds will be used to purchase equipment and other necessary things for the soldiers, while the Embassy of Ukraine in Latvia will provide information on the acute needs of the armed forces. Information about the use of donations will be published on Stopify social media accounts, according to representatives of the creators of the platform.

According to them, the service will operate until the day of Ukraine's victory or the moment when a peace agreement based on Ukraine's conditions is signed.

Ukraine's ambassador to Latvia, Olexandr Mishchenko, stated that the armed forces of Ukraine need various important things for the future fight against the army of the terrorist state - for example, tablets for purifying drinking water, food, clothing, night vision goggles, drones. "I am sure that this platform will become an effective and powerful support for Ukrainian soldiers, who with their heroism and sacrifice bring us closer to the day when peace, freedom and security will once again reign throughout the land of Ukraine," said the ambassador.

In the first days of the platform's operation, 1,481 subscribers applied and more than 17,150 euros were donated from 29 countries, according to information on the stopify.org.ua website.

Explaining the origin of the initiative, the representatives of the project pointed out that, although Russian aggression "continues to horrify and enrage the population", many have become accustomed to news about what is happening in Ukraine since the beginning of the war.

"When I was wondering how I could activate more donations and rekindle interest in them, I came up with a very simple idea. Nowadays, it's common to subscribe to various streaming services to enjoy television shows and movies for the price of a couple of cups of coffee a month. What if you could subscribe to the freedom and future of our continent, what is really being decided out there on the battlefield right now?" said Maris Upenieks, the author and initiator of the idea.

"Latvian society is very responsive and helpful - we see this every day, people donating to all kinds of charitable causes. And yet every encouragement, every reminder and new initiative is valuable and necessary - especially for achieving such important goals as the liberation of Ukraine. The monthly streaming of donations will be a new experience and a great opportunity to do something really good," said Ziedot.lv director Ruta Dimanta.

The Stopify platform is available in English and Ukrainian. According to its creators, Latvia wants to inspire the international community to more actively support Ukraine in its fight for freedom.