**Russia Seeks to Fill the Vacuum Left by USAID**
In a move that is being seen as an attempt to strengthen its global influence, Russia is planning to establish a U.S.-style international development agency. This announcement was made by Yevgeny Primakov, the head of Russia’s foreign aid and cultural outreach arm, Rossotrudnichestvo.
According to Primakov, the planned initiative would mirror aspects of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which is the chief U.S. foreign aid agency. However, USAID officially stopped implementing foreign assistance as of July 1, following the Trump administration’s decision to dismantle the body.
**A New Era for Russian Foreign Aid**
The lack of a dedicated legal mechanism for development work has slowed down Russian projects abroad, Primakov said. To address this issue, Russia’s Foreign Ministry is currently drafting legislation that would establish a formal framework for international development efforts.
“We are counting on the next iteration of our agency,” Primakov said. “We’d be happy to compete with Finland, for example, which has its own development agency.” This statement suggests that Russia is eager to take on a more prominent role in global development, and to challenge other countries’ influence.
**Challenges Ahead**
Rossotrudnichestvo’s budget has grown from 4.2 billion rubles in 2020 to 5.5 billion rubles today. However, only about 25% of the agency’s budget is available for actual programming. This limited funding is just one of the challenges that Primakov mentioned, along with rising logistics costs and difficulties operating under international sanctions.
Despite these challenges, Rossotrudnichestvo continues to distribute educational and literary books annually to libraries and universities abroad. Recent funding increases have also gone toward maintaining Russian military gravesites in countries such as Cyprus and Serbia.
**A New Opportunity for Russia**
Moscow forced USAID to leave Russia in 2012, accusing it of interfering in domestic affairs. Now, with the U.S. retreating from international development efforts, Russia appears eager to fill the vacuum. This move could provide new opportunities for Russia to expand its global influence and challenge other countries’ dominance.
As Anna Fratsyvir, a news editor at the Kyiv Independent, noted, USAID sponsored many civil society projects and independent media in Eastern Europe. The initiative also helped organizations exiled from Russia and Belarus. In Ukraine, USAID has provided significant humanitarian aid and development assistance since Russia launched its large-scale invasion.
**What’s Next?**
The planned Russian international development agency would be a new player in the global arena. As Primakov said, it would not necessarily compete with USAID, but rather with other countries that have their own development agencies. This statement suggests that Russia is seeking to take on a more significant role in global development, and to challenge other countries’ influence.
As we move forward, it will be interesting to see how this new initiative shapes up, and whether it will live up to its promise of strengthening Russian global influence. One thing is certain: the international community will be watching closely as Russia takes on a more prominent role in global development.
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