Repenting in Red Square Agentstvo Media reminds Russian politicians that they, too, once suckled at USAID

As Donald Trump’s administration works to dissolve the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), freezing its programs and reportedly planning to cut its staff from 10,000 to just 300, Russian officials are celebrating their vindication. The Kremlin kicked out USAID more than a decade ago, but the agency remains a bogeyman in Russia’s lore about American imperialism. This week, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin called on Russians who have received funding from USAID to “come to Red Square and publicly repent.” Volodin singled out journalists, accusing them of being “tempted by handouts” and forgetting their own country. In his plenary session speech, the State Duma speaker also proposed asking the U.S. Congress for a list of people now residing in Russia whose work has been funded by USAID. Journalists at Agentstvo Media prepared their own list, featuring members of the Russian establishment who have accepted these notorious American resources. Meduza reproduces that list below.

Defense Minister Andrey Belousov

In the early 2000s, USAID funded the Center for Macroeconomic Analysis and Short-Term Forecasting, which was founded and led by Belousov at the time. Journalists at Sistema reported last year that a USAID disclosure in 2001 listed Russia’s future defense minister as a grant recipient. In 2004, using the American grant funds, Belousov published an analysis of the Russian economy that criticized the state of the country’s defense sector. He also participated in various USAID-sponsored events in Russia.

The political party United Russia

In 2012, after USAID was banned in Russia, State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland revealed that the agency had also provided grants to United Russia. Without naming the program, she said the American funding supported leadership training for young politicians, civil society initiatives, and healthcare.

According to opposition politician Boris Nemtsov, the U.S. government funded visits by American delegations to United Russia congresses in 2007 and 2008, debates featuring party representatives, and international trips by United Russia members after 2006.

United Russia’s Youth Wing — “Young Guard” (MGER)

In 2012, Russia’s Communist Party called on the State Duma to petition the Foreign Affairs Ministry for information about the young officials and members of parliament whom MGER sent for internships in U.S. government agencies, funded by USAID. MGER spokesman Timur Prokopenko defended the program, accusing the Communists of “trying to turn possible educational exchanges into a ‘witch hunt.’”

Pro-Kremlin political analyst and former State Duma deputy Sergey Markov

Before the annexation of Crimea, Markov ran a political forum called Foros on the peninsula for five years with financial backing from USAID. He confirmed to Novaya Gazeta that American money funded one delegation’s participation at the event.