The United States authorities are directing $290 million to “counter Russia’s influence”.
This is stated in one of the documents of the fiscal year 2021 government funding package, which US President Donald Trump approved on Sunday.
The State Department’s appropriations initiative commits “$290 million to counter Russia’s influence and its attempts to sow mistrust of democratic institutions around the world”. In particular, this includes funding for Voice of America and Freedom/Free Europe, both of which are funded by the U.S. government.
At the same time, $300 million is allocated for “countering China’s influence”. The document also contains a ban on funding “activities contributing to the strategic goals of the Russian government which, in the opinion of the Secretary of State, may threaten the national security interests of the United States”. The documents also refers to funds that will go towards “programmes to enhance the capacity of law enforcement and security forces in Europe, Eurasia and Central Asia and to strengthen security cooperation”.