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.
More from CNAS
-
Putin’s Fifth Term and Russian Domestic Politics
Podcast
This past weekend, Russians went to the polls for the country’s presidential election. To the surprise of no one, Vladimir Putin emerged victorious with a record-high 87 perce...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Jim Townsend, Dr. Angela Stent & Joshua Yaffa
-
What NATO allies must do to prepare for Russian aggression
Commentary
While it’s expensive to do what’s necessary to deter major aggression, it would be far more expensive to fight a major war if deterrence fails....
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor & Greg Weaver
-
Ukrainians Are Resilient—But They Still Need Washington
Commentary
Beyond material support, my visit made clear that the psychological effect of global solidarity, especially from the United States, remains vital...
By Richard Fontaine
-
NATO’s Confusion Over the Russia Threat
Commentary
NATO should not take the Russian military’s poor performance in Ukraine as a reason to be complacent....
By Franz-Stefan Gady
