"Good" Russians Khodorkovsky and Zimin announced they would support Russian-language projects in Ukraine after the suspension of USAID aid
Russia will thus be able to directly influence the information agenda and political decisions
Funds of Russian philanthropists Boris Zimin and Mikhail Khodorkovsky announced a support program for Russian-language projects following the U.S. State Department's decision to freeze foreign aid programs.
The funds of Russian philanthropists Boris Zimin and Mikhail Khodorkovsky have announced a support program for Russian-language projects that have temporarily lost funding due to the U.S. State Department’s decision to freeze foreign aid programs.
In particular, the support programs aim to assist Russian-language media and public organizations.
This was announced on the Telegram channels of Khodorkovsky and the Zimin Foundation.
The funds offered support to Russian-language media, human rights, and analytical projects, as well as humanitarian initiatives, including those operating in Ukraine.
The selection of applications will be handled by a specially created council, which includes:
- Economists Serhii Aleksashenko and Serhii Guriev
- Journalists Yevhenia Albats and Ilia Ber
- Writers Boris Akunin and Oleh Radzinskyi
- Co-founder of the Boris Nemtsov Foundation, Olha Shorina
The initiative has already faced criticism from Ukrainian bloggers and social media users
"This is how Russian oligarchs want to once again sell the illusion to the West that this region is their sphere of influence and that they 'control the region,'" they wrote.
"Russia will thus be able to directly influence the information agenda and political decisions," analysts warn.
Journalist Valentyna Samar from the Center for Investigative Journalism pointed out the documents that applicants are required to submit to the Khodorkovsky-Zimin funds. Among them, literally:
- An approved grant application to an American fund
- A letter from the fund confirming the suspension of financing
- A detailed budget and a list of other grantors of the project
"Anyone who has worked on grant projects knows that the documents in points 1 and 2 are confidential and cannot be disclosed under the terms of the grant agreement. So those who comply with this requirement would be violating the contract, which is still legally valid," Samar explained.
Belarusian opposition media also reacted with suspicion to the proposal. "Cooperation with pro-democracy Russian donors could force us to take their interests into account. Belarusian media could become hostages of certain Russian politicians," they noted.
Who are Boris Zimin and Mikhail Khodorkovsky? Boris Zimin – son of the owner of "Beeline," a sponsor of the Anti-Corruption Foundation founded by Alexei Navalny.
Mikhail Khodorkovsky – former head of the Russian oil company "YUKOS." In 2005, he was sentenced by a Russian court to eight years for tax crimes and fraud, and in 2010, he was sentenced to 13.5 years for "embezzlement of oil from YUKOS subsidiaries" and "money laundering."
The trials of Khodorkovsky and his associate Platon Lebedev sparked international protests and were regarded as politically motivated.
On December 20, 2013, Khodorkovsky was pardoned by Putin. He now resides in London.
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