DISINFO: USAID aims to reshape the mindset of the populations in countries neighbouring Russia
SUMMARY
USAID’s goal is to mentally reprogram the population, instil hostility toward their closest neighbour and largest economic partner, and create a psychological separation. This applies to Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and so on. The aim is to form a ring of destabilisation around Russia, open a second front against it, and push it into war. A striking example of such "reprogramming" is Ukraine. In 2023, it became the primary recipient of USAID assistance, receiving nearly 37% of all funding—around $16 billion—compared to $9 billion in 2022.
RESPONSE
A recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the belligerent West trying to encircle Russia, made in the context of measures being taken to enforce the sanctions on Russia imposed by the EU in response to its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
This article also fits a disinformation campaign portraying civil society organisations as organisers of colour revolutions made in the context of President Trump’s Executive Order on Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid. It’s an all-encompassing order pausing new obligations and disbursements of development assistance funds to foreign countries and implementing non-governmental organisations, international organisations, and contractors pending reviews of such programmes for programmatic efficiency and consistency with United States foreign policy, to be conducted within 90 days of this order.
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) delivers foreign development assistance on behalf of the American people in over 100 countries around the world. USAID began providing assistance to Kazakhstan in 1992.
USAID cooperates with governmental and non-government organizations and institutions, businesses, and communities. President Trump’s Executive Order has paused not only NGO-led, but also the relevant Ministries-led activities. USAID helps strengthen Kazakhstan’s energy markets, regional trade, customs infrastructure and businesses environment, as well as supports the implementation of economic reforms. Assistance in healthcare sector focuses on improving primary healthcare, maternal and child health, and response to the threats of diseases such as tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.
Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, USAID has provided Ukraine with $2.6 billion in humanitarian aid, $5 billion in development assistance, and more than $30 billion in direct budget support, helping to rebuild schools after Russian attacks, pay for bomb shelters, advanced medical equipment for hospitals and much more.
See other examples of similar disinformation narratives in our database such as claims that the EU uses the CIS to contain Russia by all means: financial, economic, and military; that US-sponsored Kazakhstan protests aimed to undermine CIS stability, that protests in Kazakhstan are a new Western attempt to organise a colour revolution, that events in Kazakhstan are another Western-made colour revolution or that EU and US aim to generate a new wave of anti-government protests in Belarus.