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MOSCOW President Vladimir Putin is expelling the U.S. Agency for International Development, the State Department said Tuesday, another in a series of *ever-more-aggressive measures meant to limit the work of Russian activists who support democracy, protect human rights and promote fair elections.
The move closes a two-decade window, open since the end of the Cold War, that has allowed the American aid agency to operate fairly freely in Russia while providing $2.6 billion in assistance.
Putin, who has always disliked what he considers U.S. attempts to influence events in his country, has mounted a steadily escalating attack on organizations that accept foreign money an attack that began during the Russian election campaign earlier this year and that hasnt let up.
The amount of money that USAID provides to Russian organizations is not large about $50 million this year, down considerably from the heights of the 1990s. But the expulsion is a very public slap at the United States that will give ammunition to those who view Russia as a major U.S. adversary.
The move will almost certainly further demoralize and isolate embattled Russian activists, with the heaviest weight falling on Russian organizations that have received U.S. support groups that monitor elections, organize to deal with tuberculosis, advocate for human rights, defend the environment and work to improve education.
No need to worry! Nobody expected Obama to have foreign policy experience. That's why he got Joe Biden. He'll take care of it.
