Russia Ukraine war, page-166332

As early as in 1991, the founder of NED Alan Weinstein put it bluntly in an interview with the Washington Post that a lot of what they were doing was what the CIA had done 25 years ago. NED was therefore known globally as the “second CIA

Not my words - these are words from one of the founders of NED.

And here on their website (NED website).

In all the countries in Europe where the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) provides assistance—from Belarus to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and from Ukraine to Serbia—independent media and civil society play indispensable roles in providing objective information, fighting disinformation, and holding public officials and institutions accountable. NED therefore increased funding for civil society and independent media organizations that promote political accountability and good governance, including in the most vulnerable areas. NED continued to emphasize political and historical reconciliation programs that counter polarization and extremism, especially among youth in post-conflict countries. NED also expanded support for initiatives that analyze, spotlight, and counter foreign malign influence, particularly disinformation and corrosive capital.