Rights groups, activists and independent media in Russia and Belarus endured increased government scrutiny, repressive laws and even being outlawed and forced to operate from exile abroad. Many survived despite the difficulties. Now some face a new challenge: the decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to freeze for 90 days the aid provided by Washington. The aid, which came directly from or via the partners of the U.S. Agency for International Development, as well as from other entities funded by the U.S. government, was a source for some of their grant money.
“Objectively, it’s a very bad thing,” an activist with Center-T, a prominent Russian trans group, told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity for safety reasons. “Organizations could have done much more significant things if it weren’t for this situation.”. Members of Russian and Belarusian rights groups and independent media organizations described varying effects of the action, from “bad” to “unpleasant.” Many get funding elsewhere, like private donations or other grants, but some said they don't know which of their partners are linked to U.S. aid and whether more will withdraw support.
Aid freeze means cutting expenses, scrapping plans. Some Russian organizations said they'll still operate but will cut expenses and possibly plans, adding they knew of others in bigger jeopardy. OVD-Info, a Russian rights group that tracks political arrests and offers legal aid, is largely funded by “private donations from a large number of people,” so the freeze “has little direct and immediate impact,” said OVD-Info spokesman Dmitry Anisimov, but other groups that help it with certain activities are affected.
“Without their existence, our work will become significantly more difficult,” he said, and those in need of assistance will be affected, too. An editor of an independent Russian news outlet operating in exile echoed Anisimov and also cited crowdfunding as one reliable revenue sources. The editor spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons. The outlet lost less than 10% of the budget in frozen grants, the editor said, adding: “Yes, it’s hard, unpleasant, difficult, but we’re not on the brink of imminently shutting down. We’re not even on the brink of laying people off”.
Center-T, whose core staff moved abroad after the Russian Supreme Court designated what it called the LGBTQ+ “movement” as extremist, effectively outlawing all LGBTQ+ activism, also lost only a fraction of funding, its staffer said. “We are, possibly, in one of the luckiest positions, because we almost didn’t have U.S. funding,” they said. Kovcheg — Russian for “arc” — a group helping Russians fleeing abroad with shelter, legal and psychological support, training and other support, lost 30% of its budget after Trump’s action, said its founder, Anastasia Burakova.
The funds were allocated for future projects, as well as various improvements, she said. “It’s a shame” they won’t happen, but otherwise, Kovcheg is “more or less stable”, thanks to crowdfunding and advertising, Burakova added. Burakova, who formerly headed a legal aid group in St. Petersburg backed by exiled tycoon-turned-opposition-figure Mikhail Khodorkovsky, cited repressive laws and regulations that make it harder for critical and independent groups to get funding from Russians.
Laws that drive Russian donors away. Most Russian rights groups and independent news outlets have been designated as “foreign agents” by the Russian authorities -- a label that turns potential donors away with its negative connotation. Russia has banned advertising with them. Others have also been labeled “undesirable,” a category that outlaws any dealings with groups so designated, exposing donors to prosecution.
Many had to move their teams abroad after Russia invaded Ukraine to avoid the ever-widening crackdown. But, “the more you’re being beaten and banned, the more you adapt and stop counting on just one thing" for your funding, Burakova said. In light of the aid freeze, Khodorkovsky and Russian philanthropist Boris Zimin this week offered $600,000 to affected Russian and Ukrainian projects. It's not clear how much U.S. aid Russian organizations were receiving and how much of that could be offset by Khodorkovsky's and Zimin's funding.
“Of course, it wouldn’t be enough,” Zimin said, but “many of these projects are very important, especially, I think, media (projects). I consider it my duty to support them at least for some time.”. The U.S. Embassy in Moscow said it was unable to comment. Funding losses for Belarus pro-democracy forces. Pro-democracy forces from Belarus told AP the frozen U.S. aid they were receiving -– about $30 million -– accounts for over half of all of their Western funding. It comes from both USAID, either directly or through partners, and entities like the U.S.-government funded National Endowment for Democracy. Dozens of nongovernmental organizations and several independent media groups are on the brink of closure, they said.
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