The US spent a billion to fight “Russian influence”, almost half in the Balkans
Since 2017, the United States has spent more than a billion dollars on funding programs to counter Russian influence.
Almost half of this amount came from the Balkan countries, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
On December 23, the US State Department published a report from the Countering Russian Influence Fund (CRIF), according to which since 2017, the United States has spent $1,021 billion on funding non-governmental organizations and programs to counter Russian influence.
The report indicates that the largest portion of the funds - $621,5 million - is allocated to activities in Eastern Europe in the Visegrad Four countries (Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Poland). $454 million was allocated for the Balkan countries.
According to the report, the United States spent the most money in Bosnia and Herzegovina - $80,85 million, followed by North Macedonia - $67,47 million, Romania closes the top three - $66,15 million.
$61,16 million was allocated for these activities in the self-proclaimed “Republic of Kosovo”, and $55,57 million was earmarked for activities in Serbia.
Considering the fact that, according to the Constitution of Serbia and UN Security Council Resolution 1244, Kosovo and Metohija is a Serbian autonomous province, Washington spent $116,73 million to fight “Russian influence” in Serbia.
The Americans allocated $50,02 million for Montenegro, Bulgaria - 47,71 million, Slovenia - 40,35, Albania - 39,02, Croatia - 11,43, Greece - 0,7 million.
As the State Department report explains, CRIF programs are designed to achieve the goals of the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act and to assist countries subject to "the influence and aggression of the Russian Federation and that lack the economic capacity to effectively counter it."
As PolitNavigator reported , the US State Department opposes recognizing Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism.