December 29, 2022

The Case for Supporting Russian Civil Society, with Jamie Fly and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Since the invasion of Ukraine, the media environment inside Russia has become increasingly restricted. This represents the acceleration of the Putin regime’s crackdown on the information space over the past several years, including through the targeting of journalists, activists, and news outlets. In this atmosphere, pushing back against efforts by the Kremlin to control the narrative is both more important and more difficult than ever. Two organizations that are continuing to do this work are Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Current Time, which make use of online platforms and anticensorship tools to reach audiences inside Russia who are seeking reliable and trustworthy information. Jamie Fly, Andrey Shary, and Pavel Butorin join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss their work at RFE/RL and Current Time as well as the state of civil society in Russia more broadly.

▪ Jamie Fly is the President and Chief Executive Officer of RFE/RL.

▪ Andrey Shary is the director of RFE/RL's Russian Service, Radio Svoboda.

▪ Pavel Butorin is the Director of Current Time TV, a Russian language digital and TV network led by RFE/RL in cooperation with the Voice of America.

  • Reports

    Transatlantic Security

    Hibernating Bear

    Executive Summary Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, there have been several crises—in Syria, Nagorno-Karabakh, Venezuela, and Iran—where Russia did not intervene ...

    By Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Peter Schroeder & Kate Johnston

    • July 21, 2026
  • Video

    Transatlantic Security

    What Could Europe’s Loan to Ukraine Mean for Moscow?

    The European Union has given a preliminary green light to unblock a $AU148 billion loan for Ukraine. Jim Townsend from the Center for a New American Security says the loan is ...

    By Jim Townsend

    • April 23, 2026
  • Podcast

    Transatlantic Security

    The War in Iran, a Benefit to Putin

    While the world's attention has turned to the war with Iran, the war in Ukraine continues. Russia has seemingly kicked off its spring offensive, but a meaningful breakthrough ...

    By Andrea Kendall-Taylor & Jim Townsend

    • March 31, 2026
  • Podcast

    Transatlantic Security

    Reflecting on Four Years of War in Ukraine

    This week marks the four-year anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Brussels Sprouts wanted to mark this somber milestone with a look at the conflict and the...

    By Andrea Kendall-Taylor & Jim Townsend

    • February 27, 2026

View All Reports View All Articles & Multimedia