Inside Russia-Outside Russia is a news insight by the EMBASSY OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION IN BANGLADESH on 10.2.25
INSIDE RUSSIA
Russia can defend peace based on legal results of WWII
Russia will “boost multifaceted cooperation with all sensible partners,” the minister noted
MOSCOW, February 10. /TASS/. Russia will be able to defend peace based on the legal results of WWII, despite ill-wishers’ intrigues or the rise of neocolonialism, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in a video address on the occasion of Russian Diplomats Day.
“Today, when Russia is once again faced with crucial challenges, its primary task and sacred duty is to defend peace based on the legal results of World War II,” Russia’s top diplomat said in the video message released on the Russian Foreign Ministry’s website. He expressed confidence that “this noble goal will be achieved, despite all the efforts of our ill-wishers and open enemies to falsify historical facts, revive Nazism and militarism, and curtail international dialogue and cooperation in suppressing Russia and other rivals for the sake of domination through force and neocolonialism.”
According to Lavrov, Russia “will continue to do everything necessary to protect national interests in the context of foreign policy support for the special military operation and efforts to create safer and more favorable conditions for the country’s development and the improvement of our citizens’ well-being.” He emphasized that Russia will “boost multifaceted cooperation with all sensible partners and, above all, with the global majority,” as he referred to former Soviet republics, Greater Eurasia, as well as African and Latin American countries.
Also, Russia will contribute to “strengthening the foundations of multipolarity, creating a comprehensive security architecture across Eurasia and establishing mechanisms of international cooperation that are not subject to the destructive influence of the Western minority,” the foreign minister stated.
Russia to develop cooperation with ‘sensible’ partners
Russia will strive to defend the just world order against resurgent Western-backed Nazism and militarism, Sergey Lavrov has said
Russia is facing “critical challenges” in the international arena as it seeks to preserve the world order established after World War II from Western attempts to impose hegemony through militarism and to reject international cooperation, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday.
Washington and its allies have “thrown in their lot” with resurgent Nazism, “forceful domination and neocolonialism” as they seek to contain Russia and other nations they see as competitors, the foreign minister said in a video address commemorating a professional holiday dedicated to diplomats.
The foreign minister pointed to the “invaluable contribution” Soviet diplomats made to the creation of the post-war world order in the late 1940s, including the establishment of the United Nations and the development of its Charter and its principles, which “remain relevant nowadays as well.” Lavrov called on the diplomats to “do everything possible” to defend Russia’s national interests and create safe, favorable conditions for the nation’s development and its citizens’ welfare.
“We will continue to develop diversified cooperation with all sensible partners, primarily the world majority,” the minister said, adding that Moscow would seek to strengthen ties to its neighbors as well as Eurasian, African and Latin American nations.
Together with “likeminded” nations, Russia would contribute to strengthening the multipolar world order and the establishment of a “Eurasian security architecture” as well as develop international cooperation mechanisms that would be free from “the destructive influence of the Western minority,” Lavrov stated.
His words came as Moscow remains engaged in a protracted military conflict against Kiev. Russia has repeatedly described the standoff as a proxy war led by the West in a bid to weaken the nation it sees as a competitor. It has also repeatedly pointed to what it called the “Nazi nature” of the Ukrainian government backed by Washington and its allies and called the “denazification” of Ukraine one of the key goals of its military campaign.
Russia has repeatedly warned that the West’s ever-increasing engagement in the ongoing conflict through military and financial aid to Kiev could lead to a direct clash between Moscow and NATO. It has also repeatedly stated that it was ready for dialogue and a diplomatic solution to the conflict as long as the reality on the ground is taken into account.
In fall 2022, four former Ukrainian territories, including the two Donbass republics and Kherson and Zaporozhye Regions, joined Russia following a series of referendums – a development that Kiev refuses to recognize.
OUTSIDE RUSSIA
Russia to showcase more than 500 military-purpose products at air show in India
Su-57E, Russia’s latest fifth-generation fighter jet, and the Lancet-E loitering munition, which proved its effectiveness on the battlefield in the special military operation zone, will be presented in India for the first time
BENGALURU /India/, February 10. /TASS/. Russia will showcase over 500 samples of its military-purpose products at the 15th edition of Aero India, which will be held at Yelahanka Air Force Station in southern India’s Bengaluru from February 10 to 14.
Su-57E, Russia’s latest fifth-generation fighter jet, and the Lancet-E loitering munition, which proved its effectiveness on the battlefield in the special military operation zone, will be presented in India for the first time.
Russia has been an active exhibitor at Aero India, the Southeast Asian country’s largest aerospace show that has been held since 1996. This time around, more than 10 major Russian defense holdings will be taking part in the Aero India 2025.
Vadim Badekha, CEO of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC, part of the Rostec state corporation), earlier said that long-term partners “are queuing up in line” for the export version of Russia’s fifth-generation fighter jet. Ahead of Aero India 2025, the republic’s Deputy Defense Minister Sanjeev Kumar said that India was studying the capabilities of the Russian Su-57 multirole fighter for potential purchase.
Russia, Pakistan have close approaches to pressing int’l problems — Russian ambassador
Albert Khorev told TASS that countries cooperate constructively within the United Nations.
ISLAMABAD, February 9. /TASS/. Russian and Pakistan have similar views on global developments and cooperate constructively within the United Nations, Russian Ambassador to Islamabad Albert Khorev told TASS.
“We cooperate constructively with the Pakistani partners within the United Nations. We note that our positions on many pressing issues on the international agenda, such as, for instance, information security, the prevention an arms race in outer space, are very close,” he said.
“The top-and high-level political dialogue, as well as regular expert consultations make it possible to maintain a high level of mutual understanding, which is reflected in our common approaches to the priorities of regional development,” the Russian diplomat added.
Paris backing neo-Nazism in Ukraine
Unquestioning support by France has led to far-right forces embracing terrorism, the Foreign Ministry’s spokeswoman has said
The French authorities have unquestionably supported the rise of neo-Nazism in Ukraine, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said. She emphasized that the Kiev regime has turned into an international terrorist cell with the connivance of its Western backers.
Moscow has repeatedly accused the current Ukrainian government of embracing Nazi ideology, and listed the denazification of the country as one of the key objectives of its military operation, along with demilitarization and enforcing neutrality.
“Paris is officially supporting some kind of incredible and insane force of neo-Nazism, which has flourished in Ukraine,” Zakharova said in an interview with RIA Novosti published on Sunday. “Moreover, the neo-Nazism in Ukraine has already turned into terrorism, it has mutated.”
The spokeswoman mentioned a series of atrocities allegedly conducted by Ukrainian soldiers in the village of Russkoye Porechnoye in the Russian region of Kursk, which are currently being probed by the country’s Investigative Committee, in the latest instance of what she branded “a fusion of Nazism and fascism with new technological capabilities and a terrorist nature.”
Earlier this year, Russian investigators reported multiple incidents related to the village, located 10km north of Sudzha, which had been occupied by the Ukrainian army since last August. The officials charged that Ukrainian soldiers raped, tortured, and murdered local residents. Some of the allegations have been confirmed by Ukrainian soldiers captured during the liberation of the settlement.
“All these [war crimes] are being backed by Paris via supplies of weapons and money, via lending political support, via encouraging [Kiev], and of course via saying no word of condemnation,” Zakharova maintained.
The spokeswoman concluded that officials in Paris prefer not to notice that killings of civilians and journalists “through the use of the weapons supplied to Ukraine by Western backers, including France, do not match with the ethics supported by the French authorities on the international scene.”
Earlier this week, French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu announced that the Ukrainian military had received the first batch of fourth generation Mirage 2000-5 aircraft that French President Emmanuel Macron promised to supply last year. Lecornu added that the jets would be operated by Ukrainian pilots who have undergone training in France.
Commenting on the move, Russian lawmaker Leonid Ivlev said that the transfer of the fighter jets would inevitably lead to the involvement of France in a military conflict with Russia. Meanwhile, a representative of Russian defense conglomerate Rostec said the jets would be swiftly destroyed if Kiev uses them near the front line.
SPECIAL MILITARY OPERATION IN UKRAINE
Ukrainian armed forces lose over 320 soldiers, 5 tanks in Kursk direction in 24 hours
As the ministry noted, for the whole period of fighting in the Kursk direction, the enemy lost more than 58,870 servicemen
MOSCOW, February 9. /TASS/. Russian troops repelled three counterattacks in Kursk and continued their offensive, while the Ukrainian armed forces lost over 320 soldiers and five tanks in 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.
“Over the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian armed forces lost over 320 soldiers, destroyed five tanks, five infantry fighting vehicles, including one US-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicle, three armored personnel carriers, 16 armored combat vehicles, 26 vehicles, four artillery pieces, two mortars, an Israeli-made RADA airspace control radar, as well as a UAV control center and two ammunition depots,” the ministry said.
As the ministry noted, for the whole period of fighting in the Kursk direction, the enemy lost more than 58,870 servicemen, 355 tanks, 259 infantry fighting vehicles, 204 armored personnel carriers, 1,826 armored combat vehicles, 1,890 vehicles, 422 artillery pieces, 48 multiple launch rocket system launchers, including 13 HIMARS and six MLRS made in the United States, and 18 anti-aircraft missile system launchers.
Kiev trying to hide war crimes in Kursk region
Constant shelling has complicated a probe into alleged atrocities against civilians by Ukrainian forces, a Russian diplomat has said
The Ukrainian military is trying to destroy evidence of its war crimes in the settlements they have occupied in Russia’s Kursk Region, senior Russian diplomat Rodion Miroshnik has claimed.
Last month, Russian investigators alleged that Kiev’s troops had raped, tortured, and murdered Russian civilians in the recently-liberated village of Russkoye Porechnoye. They published gruesome videos of bodies piled in cellars in some of the homes inside the settlement. Several captured Ukrainian servicemen acknowledged committing the crimes under interrogation, saying they had been acting on the orders of their commanders.
Similar atrocities could have been committed by enemy forces in other villages in Kursk Region according to Miroshnik, who is tasked by the Russian Foreign Ministry with collecting evidence of alleged Ukrainian war crimes. He made the comments to RIA-Novosti on Saturday.
“Ukraine is battering the nearby settlements, apparently trying to destroy the consequences of its other crimes,” he said.
According to the Miroshnik, the locals reported “whole streets being burnt, homes deliberately set on fire” by the Ukrainians in those villages.
“What was in those buildings? To find this out, one needs to get into those homes and carefully examine everything that is left there. It is necessary to talk to the people who witnessed this,” he noted.
However, Miroshnik stressed that as long as the settlements in question remain on the front line, carrying out investigative activities there is “extremely difficult.”
The same goes for Russkoye Porechnoye, which is being shelled by the Kiev “every day, if not every hour,” he said.
The diplomat provided the latest figures for casualties in that village, saying that “22 people were found in basements and in several homes. There is also information about at least one more person who was shot dead by another Ukrainian soldier.”
Last August, Ukraine launched an incursion into Kursk Region, marking the largest attack on internationally recognized Russian territory since the escalation of hostilities between Moscow and Kiev in February 2022. The area under Ukrainian control, however, has steadily been shrinking, with the Russian military liberating the settlements of Russkoe Porechnoye, Aleksandria, Leonidovo and Kruglenkoye in January.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Ukraine’s total losses in the six months since the launch of its incursion have reached some 58550 servicemen, 350 tanks, 254 infantry fighting vehicles, 201 armored personnel carriers, and hundreds of other pieces of equipment, including 13 US-supplied HIMARS multiple rocket launchers.
INSIGHTS
Liberal NGOs in crisis: the fallout of Trump’s USAID freeze
The results of the US president’s decision have left “grant eaters” reeling
If you’ve spent any time on social media recently, particularly X, you might have noticed a pattern. Media outlets, NGOs, and human rights groups with a liberal slant are posting about financial trouble. Some plead for public donations, while others announce layoffs and budget cuts.
What’s causing this sudden turmoil? In many cases, it boils down to the suspension of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). For decades, this agency has been a lifeline for countless “grant seekers.” With the freeze in operations, many of these groups now find themselves at a breaking point.
A Giant in Chaos
USAID is the largest source of official US financial aid abroad, with an annual budget running into the tens of billions of dollars. These funds fuel hundreds of projects worldwide. While some initiatives address genuine concerns like poverty, hunger, and environmental protection, others have a more ambiguous purpose, such as “building civil society” or “developing democracy.” Often, these projects serve as vehicles for advancing US political interests, sometimes with covert ties to intelligence agencies.
Between 2022 and 2024, USAID disbursed nearly $120 billion globally. The largest beneficiary was Ukraine, which received over $32 billion, funding everything from government operations to 90% of the country’s media outlets. Moldova was another major recipient, where USAID financed energy independence projects and media aligned with the government.
Other countries in the post-Soviet space saw millions funneled into “democracy-building” efforts. In 2024 alone, USAID poured over $40 million into Georgian civil society projects, $20 million into Armenia, and $11 million into Belarus. Even after officially ceasing operations in Russia in 2012, USAID quietly continued its activities, with $60 million earmarked for 11 programs in 2025-2026, including “Strengthening Local Governance in the North Caucasus” and “New Media” initiatives.
The Trump Effect: Closing Shop
In January 2025, everything changed. US President Donald Trump froze all foreign aid for 90 days. This was followed by a dramatic shake-up: USAID’s headquarters was raided by DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) agents, and Elon Musk declared the agency was effectively “shut down.”
For decades, USAID’s funding had been a critical support system for pro-Western and opposition structures in Russia and beyond. Now, many of these organizations find themselves adrift, their stable funding having evaporated overnight.
Yet celebrating this development as a triumph may be premature.
Trump’s Real Plan for USAID
The USAID freeze isn’t about dismantling the agency entirely. Rather, it’s a restructuring to wrest control from the Democrats, who previously used it to push left-liberal values globally. Trump’s goal is to transform USAID into a tool for his administration’s conservative agenda. As he bluntly put it: “[it has] been run by a bunch of radical lunatics, and we’re getting them out,” while Musk called it “a criminal organization” and said it was “time for it to die.”
Under Trump’s plan, USAID will be integrated into the State Department, now headed by Marco Rubio. Funding will not disappear – it will be redirected. Instead of backing progressive initiatives, grants will support projects that align with traditional values, patriotism, and the revived “American Dream.” The beneficiaries will shift from liberal activists to conservative organizations promoting these ideals.
Geographically, funding priorities may also change, focusing more on Europe and Latin America. Regardless of these shifts, the primary mission of advancing the US interests will remain intact.
The Grant Seekers’ Dilemma
The suspension of USAID has created chaos among the vast network of Russian organizations reliant on its funding. But they won’t go down without a fight.
Some will perform ideological backflips, rebranding themselves as Trump-aligned supporters to secure new funding streams. Others will pivot to European donors or private backers like disgraced 1990s oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky. A few will downsize, trimming staff and budgets, but continue to operate independently.
The hardest hit will be the smallest and most ideologically rigid groups, unable or unwilling to adapt. They will likely disappear altogether, but these are the exceptions.
What Comes Next?
Trump’s USAID overhaul signals a broader shift in the US foreign policy. Rather than promoting American hegemony as a global ruler, the focus will shift to transactional politics – achieving specific interests through direct negotiations or force. This pragmatic approach is fundamentally different from the ideological export model that defined the agency’s previous decades.
While this may lead to a more streamlined and focused USAID, it also poses a new challenge for countries like Russia. A restructured agency equipped with digital tools and data analytics could make grant distribution even more efficient and targeted, amplifying the US influence in key regions.
For Russia, the lesson is clear: complacency is not an option. To counter this evolving threat, Moscow must develop its own “soft power” tools, crafting competing narratives and adapting strategies to the modern geopolitical landscape. The 1990s model of direct confrontation is outdated.
As the Trump administration redefines America’s global image, the ideological battlefield is shifting. Russia must be prepared to meet these challenges head-on. The fight for influence is far from over – it’s only just beginning.
