"We Can Help": How the NED Foundation Talked to Prankers about the Russian Elections and the Protests in Belarus

Russian prankers Lexus and Vovan took part in a videoconference with the leadership of the American National Endowment for Democracy (NED) "* on behalf of ex-presidential candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya and her assistant.

President of the Foundation Karl Gershman, Vice President for Political Affairs and Strategy Barbara Haig, Senior Director for Europe Asya Ivancheva, and Nina Ognyanova, Senior Specialist for NED Programs in Europe, spoke with the Tikhanovskaya team from the NED side.

During the conversation, the representatives of the foundation themselves spoke in general terms about their work in the Belarusian direction.

According to them, "NED is not a software organization."

“We provide grants.

We have four institutes, and, in my opinion, all of them are actively working in Belarus, ”says Gershman.

At the same time, the staff of the foundation devoted a lot of time to the Russian direction of work.

In particular, they mentioned the structure of Alexei Navalny in the conversation.

According to Gershman, now these organizations are headed not by Navalny, but by Alexei Volkov.

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"We have a very active program in Russia, it covers the whole country ... We should essentially focus on what comes from someone like Leonid Volkov, who is leading this movement ... So we intend to be as responsive as possible", - says the head of NED "Tikhanovskaya" during the conference.

According to him, the Russian opposition "is focused on the Duma elections in September" and at the same time has a long-term strategy.

Gershman agreed to help Tikhanovskaya join forces with NED's Russian protégés.

“And this is also an important area of ​​dialogue between your movement and the Russian one.

How to continue the struggle in the future, combining both protests and preparations for the elections to the State Duma, as well as for local elections, ”the head of the fund believes.

He also assured that the NED is an institution that "helps bring people together."

According to the head of the fund, the organization is able to "establish links between groups in Belarus and Russia."

Surveillance of the military

Along with this, the participants in the conversation from the NED side spoke about their main concerns in the course of work in the Russian direction.

So, according to Gershman, NED is concerned about the future presence of the Russian military in Belarus during the exercises.

According to him, the maneuvers are scheduled for the summer.

At the same time, the next announced exercises of Russia and Belarus, called "West-2021", should take place in September.

“This worries us very much.

These are the current problems we are dealing with, ”Gershman admits at the videoconference.

Further on, NED Vice President Barbara Haig mentions "tracking" the movements of Russian troops.

“I am wondering if you are considering any similar measures to track government officials, their resources and / or monitor the presence of the Russian armed forces in the country and how it may change over time ... and should we not raise this issue with some of our colleagues who are working on the Wagner group, and with others who monitor the actions of both official and unofficial Russian forces, ”said Haig.

Critical Needs Grants

NED representatives also raised the issue of media support.

Haig said the foundation works directly with a number of publications and investigative journalists.

“Many of the groups that are exploring this direction… this is in addition to Navalny's group… these are various media resources, investigative journalists with whom we have a wonderful, direct relationship,” said Haig.

At the same time, Gershman says that NED's "support" is not limited to direct work with the media and journalists - the foundation provides assistance to a large number of associations in Russia.

“The Russian opposition has its own very clear strategy.

You probably know about their smart voting strategy.

They are very successful in raising funds in Russia.

We support groups across the country who are participating in this common movement.

And we are, of course, responsive to all the groups operating there that need help.

We have a very active program in Russia, it covers the whole country, ”says the head of NED.

The Vice President, in turn, speaks of the "wide" scale of the organization's activities in Russia.

“We have an extensive program in Russia, and, as Karl said, it even affects grassroots initiatives in the provinces, regions, outside of Moscow.

The program is very deep and broad, ”explained Haig.

Speaking about the situation in general, the NED placed high hopes on possible support from the new US administration, in which, according to the president of the fund, there are many "wonderful people."

“With regard to the new administration in the US, I think there is now a very significant willingness to help.

I think there are wonderful people working in the new administration, ”says the head of NED.

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It was the representatives of the American foundation that spoke most of the videoconference.

Later, “Tikhanovskaya” herself entered the conversation, who feigned excitement and even imitated tears when she spoke about the lack of funds for the “Belarusian opposition”: “We just need to get money.

How can we organize this? "

The NED management made it clear to the "Tikhanovskaya team" that the funding issue could be resolved.

However, so far we are talking only about "critical needs".

“But we are also a grant organization, so we need to know what the critical needs are,” Gershman said during the conference.

After a few more statements from NED interlocutors, Tikhanovskaya literally began asking the American fund for money for expensive clothes, and then on the air from Tikhanovskaya, a cut of Lukashenko's phrases and the words of a KGB major about the right to remain silent sounded.

After that, the NED ended the conference.

* The National Endowment for Democracy is an organization whose activities are recognized as undesirable on the territory of the Russian Federation by the decision of the General Prosecutor's Office of 07/28/2015.

** The Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) is included in the register of NPOs performing the functions of a foreign agent by the decision of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation dated 09.10.2019.