Morning anons…

This isHUGE. Putin is like a history professor. Lavrov can speak. So this should be REALLY interesting…also interesting is the comment about the Cuban missile crisis, and I would agree this is worse and we are closer.

https://www.rt.com/russia/608686-carlson-interview-lavrov-moscow/

American journalist and political commentator Tucker Carlson has promoted an upcoming conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, promising to provide a perspective on how close Washington and Moscow could be to a direct clash.

Despite the growing risks of conflict, Americans are only provided the perspective allowed to them by “NBC News and The New York Times,” Carlson claimed in a three-minute video on X on Wednesday, adding that viewers should get the chance to hear the Russian point of view.

Carlson claimed his attempts to get a Ukrainian view on the conflict have been stonewalled by Washington. The US Embassy in Kiev has told the administration of Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky that it “can talk to CNN,” but not to him, the journalist said.

In the month since Donald Trump was elected, under the administration of outgoing President Joe Biden, “American military personnel launched missiles into mainland Russia and killed at least a dozen Russian soldiers,” Carlson noted.

“We are, unbeknownst to most Americans, in a hot war with Russia, an undeclared war, a war you did not vote for and that most Americans don’t want,” he added. The journalist claimed that US service members are killing Russians in Russia, bringing the two superpowers far closer to a direct clash than ever in history, “far closer than we were during the Cuban Missile Crisis.”

Late last month, Russia struck a Ukrainian military industrial site in Dnepropetrovsk with its new Oreshnik ballistic missile as a response to Biden’s authorization of the use of US armaments in strikes on internationally recognized Russian territory. Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed that the hostilities have taken on the aspects of a “global conflict.” High-tech missile systems such as US-supplied ATACMS cannot be used by Ukraine without the direct involvement by US troops, he added.

Putin has also moved to adjust its nuclear doctrine to allow for retaliation in case of a “joint attack” on Russia by a non-nuclear state backed by a nuclear one.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also promoted the upcoming interview, posting a photo of Carlson and Lavrov sitting opposite each other. “Be patient,” she added.

https://www.rt.com/news/608644-occrp-report-us-control/

An investigation published on Monday by France’s Mediapart and its partners, including Drop Site News (US), Il Fatto Quotidiano (Italy), and Reporters United (Greece), has uncovered that the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), the world’s largest investigative journalism network, is secretly controlled by the US government.

The report reveals that Washington has provided around half of the organization’s funding and has significant sway over its leadership and editorial direction, raising questions about the independence of the network’s reporting.

US govt funds more than half of OCCRP budget

Since its founding in 2008, the OCCRP has received at least $47 million from American government sources. This accounts for approximately half of the organization’s overall funding, making the US state the largest donor by far.

The OCCRP’s financial dependence on the US government has led to concerns about the potential influence of Washington on the organization’s editorial stance, particularly given the US government’s strategic interests.

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According to Drew Sullivan, the OCCRP’s co-founder and publisher, the US government remains the organization’s largest donor, providing crucial financial support for its operations. In an interview with German state broadcaster NDR, Sullivan acknowledged, “I’m very grateful to the US government” for its support.

While OCCRP officials insist that government grants come with “impenetrable guardrails” to protect journalistic integrity, critics will argue that such substantial funding creates a structural dependence that could affect editorial independence.

Washington has veto power over OCCRP leadership

In addition to providing substantial funding, the US government also wields significant influence over the OCCRP’s leadership. Washington has the right to veto key personnel appointments within the organization, including the nomination of its publisher, Sullivan. Under agreements with the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and other government bodies, the OCCRP must submit resumes of potential hires for senior roles to the American government for approval.

USAID’s Shannon Maguire confirmed this in a statement, saying the agency has the “right to have its say” on personnel decisions. Sullivan himself admitted in an interview that the US can use this veto power, although he maintained that it has never been exercised. “If they veto somebody, we can say we don’t take the money,” he said. The power to dictate appointments, however, underscores the US government’s influence over the OCCRP’s leadership.

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Soros provides significant funding

In addition to the US government, the OCCRP has also relied on funding from private donors, including the Open Society Foundations (OSF), the pressure group founded by Hungarian-American billionaire George Soros. While OSF’s contributions are significant, they have not raised the same concerns about influence as the US government’s donations, as far as the authors of the investigation are concerned.

Still, OSF’s role adds to the complex web of financial support that the OCCRP has received over the years.

OCCRP founded based on secret US govt grant

The OCCRP’s origins are tied directly to US government funding. In 2007, the US State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) provided the initial $1.7 million to establish the network. This secret funding, funneled through the Journalism Development Group (JDG) controlled by Sullivan, was key to the creation of the OCCRP.

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Sullivan’s relationship with USAID and the US government dates back to the early 2000s, when he worked on a USAID-funded initiative in Bosnia and Herzegovina to train local journalists. He later used his connections to secure funding from the US government to establish the OCCRP. The fact that such an influential journalistic network was born out of a covert US government grant raises concerns about the independence of its operations.

US govt funds investigations aimed at opponents such as Russia

One of the most striking revelations of the investigation is that the US government has directed the OCCRP to focus its investigations on specific countries, including Russia and Venezuela. The OCCRP received $2.2 million from the US to investigate Russian media in an effort dubbed ‘Balancing the Russian media sphere’.

Similarly, the organization was granted $2.3 million to investigate corruption in Cyprus and Malta, two locations where Russian business people have significant financial interests.

By funding investigations that target certain countries, the US government has influenced the scope of the OCCRP’s reporting, ensuring that its investigations align with American geopolitical interests. The OCCRP has worked on several high-profile international investigations, including ‘Cyprus Confidential’, which exposed Russian citizens allegedly using the island as a tax haven to bypass sanctions. These investigations are clearly in line with US foreign policy priorities.

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OCCRP reports weaponized to justify US sanctions policy

The OCCRP’s investigative reports have also been used by the US government to justify its foreign policy, particularly sanctions. Through the Global Anti-Corruption Consortium (GACC), a program co-financed by the US State Department, OCCRP investigations have been directly linked to judicial actions and sanctions procedures.

The US government uses the OCCRP’s findings to push for greater sanctions on individuals and entities it frames as being associated with corruption, often targeting countries such as Russia and Venezuela.

Sullivan confirmed that the OCCRP works closely with governments, including the US, to apply the findings of its investigations in ways that support broader international policy goals. “We believe the GACC has proven to be highly successful,” Sullivan said. This program has been instrumental in lobbying for tougher anti-corruption and anti-money laundering legislation, he adds, often in countries that the US government sees as adversaries.

Propaganda tool designed to advise US foreign policy interests

The revelations of the OCCRP’s close ties to the US government will fuel criticism that the organization is not simply an independent journalistic entity, but rather a tool used by the US to promote its foreign policy interests. While the OCCRP maintains that it operates independently, its reliance on US funding and its role in advancing US political goals suggests that its reporting may be subject to external influence, particularly when it comes to issues that affect US geopolitical priorities.

As one director of a South American media outlet put it, “The OCCRP makes the US seem virtuous and allows them to set the agenda of what is defined as corruption.” While the OCCRP continues to investigate corruption in many parts of the world, its close financial relationship with the US government raises significant questions about the organization’s independence and the potential for its work to be used as a tool of American foreign policy.

In conclusion, the findings from Mediapart and its partners highlight the complex and often hidden relationship between the OCCRP and the US government. Despite its protestations, the scale of its financial dependence on the US government and the influence that Washington has over its operations will hardly be ignored.

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https://x.com/BRICSinfo/status/1864168413309829314