The declassified intelligence evaluation stated the F.S.B. had helped fund Creative Diplomacy and that it was a “grooming campaign” that Russian intelligence operatives used to construct up a community of “future Western influencers” who the F.S.B. hoped would turn into Kremlin supporters.
The F.S.B. has tracked the actions of Creative Diplomacy’s alumni, a few of whom have gone on to publish pro-Russia articles, the American officers stated. While Ms. Burlinova has denied any ties to the Russian authorities, the U.S. intelligence disputed that declare.
One of the individuals in Creative Diplomacy, an American who spoke on the situation of anonymity, stated if he had identified the program’s connections to Russian intelligence, he wouldn’t have participated. Still, he stated he didn’t remorse attending the program as a result of it gave him an opportunity to talk to and query Russian officers he wouldn’t have met.
The pro-Russia slant of the program was no totally different than public diplomacy packages in different international locations, he stated, and some individuals left with a worse — not higher — opinion of Russia. The participant stated he was not shocked to study Ms. Burlinova was working with the F.S.B. But if the program was a Russian intelligence operation, he stated, there was little for the U.S. authorities to be involved about, given its ineffectiveness.
The declassified evaluation singles out three others: Andrey Stepanenko, who labored for the F.S.B. from 2014 to 2019; Maksim Grigoryev, the director of the Foundation for the Study of Democracy, a corporation the U.S. evaluation says has spread anti-Ukrainian narratives on behalf of the Kremlin; and Anton Tsvetkov, the head of a bunch referred to as Officers of Russia. The U.S. officers stated Mr. Tsvetkov, at the route of Russian intelligence, organized protests in Moscow, together with one exterior the U.S. Embassy.
Mr. Tsvetkov, at the behest of Russian intelligence, additionally organized protests towards Bard College in New York State and its partnership with a St. Petersburg school; these actions ultimately led to the New York college being banned in Russia by the Kremlin, which was scared of Western affect on Russian universities. Since then, the intelligence evaluation stated, Mr. Tsvetkov has organized anti-Ukraine protests all through 2022 exterior varied Western embassies in Russia.
