Official Commentary of Natalia Burlinova on the FBI (USA) Initiating a Criminal Case against her
On 29 July 2022, the USA included me and Creative Diplomacy in OFAC's SDN List. On 18 April 2023, the FBI pressed criminal charges against me, alleging I had acted illegally as a foreign agent in the US and recruited American citizens using Meeting Russia, the public diplomacy program of Creative Diplomacy.
In this commentary, I would like to highlight some aspects connected with the charges for all those who are interested.
Important is that no charges against me have any proof, which means that all acts of provocation and speculation in mass media and some comments of former participants of Meeting Russia constitute insinuation and slander.
In this commentary, I would like to highlight some aspects connected with the charges for all those who are interested.
Important is that no charges against me have any proof, which means that all acts of provocation and speculation in mass media and some comments of former participants of Meeting Russia constitute insinuation and slander.
About Meeting Russia
Meeting Russia is a public diplomacy program modeled on standard Western public diplomacy programs. Foreign participants of Meeting Russia received visa support and accommodation in Russia. Upon the program completion, their traveling expenses were partially reimbursed.
There is no element in Meeting Russia exceeding those of analogous programs arranged by the U.S.A. for foreigners – be it the content of the program, the organization's principles of work, selection of participants, etc. The complete information about Meeting Russia has always been and still is available to the public on the Creative Diplomacy website.
Meeting Russia is a public diplomacy program modeled on standard Western public diplomacy programs. Foreign participants of Meeting Russia received visa support and accommodation in Russia. Upon the program completion, their traveling expenses were partially reimbursed.
There is no element in Meeting Russia exceeding those of analogous programs arranged by the U.S.A. for foreigners – be it the content of the program, the organization's principles of work, selection of participants, etc. The complete information about Meeting Russia has always been and still is available to the public on the Creative Diplomacy website.
I wonder which type of "providing information" of the above-mentioned is illegal or exceeds the framework of the generally accepted procedures, including those the U.S.A. applies to foreigners?
The main charge against me is "providing information" (passport information, resumes). Obviously, all persons willing to participate in Meeting Russia filled out standard forms on the program's website. Selected applicants provided their passport information necessary to get visas via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to enter the Russian Federation. When the foreigners were crossing the Russian border, the border guard checked them for safety reasons.
In the charges, the FBI tries to link me and Meeting Russia with the FSB (Russia's domestic security service), probably mistaking the FSB for the SVR (Russia's foreign intelligence service). Luckily, all Meeting Russia participants are professional enough to understand the absurdity of any such "connection" where Meeting Russia or any other public diplomacy program is concerned.
I wonder which type of "providing information" of the above-mentioned is illegal or exceeds the framework of the generally accepted procedures, including those the U.S.A. applies to foreigners?
In the charges, the FBI tries to link me and Meeting Russia with the FSB (Russia's domestic security service), probably mistaking the FSB for the SVR (Russia's foreign intelligence service). Luckily, all Meeting Russia participants are professional enough to understand the absurdity of any such "connection" where Meeting Russia or any other public diplomacy program is concerned.
I wonder which type of "providing information" of the above-mentioned is illegal or exceeds the framework of the generally accepted procedures, including those the U.S.A. applies to foreigners?
"Sin" of Official Financing
The only possible source of financing a foreign policy NGO can get in Russia is a grant from a state fund, like the Fund of Presidential Grants or Alexander Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Fund. There are no private sources of financing for any projects involving foreign policy. At the same time, if a Russian organization receives a grant from abroad, such an organization gets the status of "foreign agent" in Russia.
Journalists ask me if Creative Diplomacy has paid anything to Meeting Russia alumni for the publication of their analytical articles on the program's website. I have answered the question many times, and I reiterate: no, all articles were submitted on a voluntary basis, as part of our networking. According to the terms of our grant, foreign participants or alumni are not entitled to any payment or royalties.
Coming to the U.S.A. in 2018
In 2018 a presentation of Meeting Russia and meeting with experts in the U.S. think tanks and universities were arranged. Today that 7-day-long visit to the U.S. serves as a formal reason for the American government to accuse me of violating American law on foreign agents.
Our travel expenses were covered from the grant money, of which there is proof in a detailed financial and analytical report submitted to the Fund of Presidential Grants. A press release about the visit is published on our website. Neither the FSB nor other structures had anything to do with the visit.
Notably, Creative Diplomacy and Meeting Russia must have caught the eye of the FBI several years ago. It has reached my knowledge that the FBI questioned some of the Meeting Russia participants in the U.S.A. about possible offers of recruitment they could have been made during their visit to Russia.
The only possible source of financing a foreign policy NGO can get in Russia is a grant from a state fund, like the Fund of Presidential Grants or Alexander Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Fund. There are no private sources of financing for any projects involving foreign policy. At the same time, if a Russian organization receives a grant from abroad, such an organization gets the status of "foreign agent" in Russia.
Journalists ask me if Creative Diplomacy has paid anything to Meeting Russia alumni for the publication of their analytical articles on the program's website. I have answered the question many times, and I reiterate: no, all articles were submitted on a voluntary basis, as part of our networking. According to the terms of our grant, foreign participants or alumni are not entitled to any payment or royalties.
Coming to the U.S.A. in 2018
In 2018 a presentation of Meeting Russia and meeting with experts in the U.S. think tanks and universities were arranged. Today that 7-day-long visit to the U.S. serves as a formal reason for the American government to accuse me of violating American law on foreign agents.
Our travel expenses were covered from the grant money, of which there is proof in a detailed financial and analytical report submitted to the Fund of Presidential Grants. A press release about the visit is published on our website. Neither the FSB nor other structures had anything to do with the visit.
Notably, Creative Diplomacy and Meeting Russia must have caught the eye of the FBI several years ago. It has reached my knowledge that the FBI questioned some of the Meeting Russia participants in the U.S.A. about possible offers of recruitment they could have been made during their visit to Russia.
Opinion
It saddens me to see the demonization of Meeting Russia, the project I have put my heart and soul into. It saddens me to observe the smear campaign by the U.S. government against the participants and organizers of Meeting Russia.
The charges against me may form the wrong impression that Creative Diplomacy is a major organization and really endangers U.S. national security by influencing hundreds of American young leaders. Here are the actual figures: over the 5 years of doing the program, 34 young U.S. leaders have participated in it, some of them only online. Such is the scope of "influence" of our small Russian public diplomacy NGO. At the same time, we all know that the U.S. receives thousands of young foreigners annually, and it is a legal instrument of the American public diplomacy.
I am a citizen of Russia, an academic, a researcher, and an NGO president with a good professional reputation. The campaign against me must be a method of intimidation not only of myself but of ordinary Americans who might be caught on the hook of "another Russian spy" story. The U.S. Department of Justice did not even trouble to notify me officially of the case or the sanctions, which shows the "quality" of the whole thing.
It saddens me to see the demonization of Meeting Russia, the project I have put my heart and soul into. It saddens me to observe the smear campaign by the U.S. government against the participants and organizers of Meeting Russia.
The charges against me may form the wrong impression that Creative Diplomacy is a major organization and really endangers U.S. national security by influencing hundreds of American young leaders. Here are the actual figures: over the 5 years of doing the program, 34 young U.S. leaders have participated in it, some of them only online. Such is the scope of "influence" of our small Russian public diplomacy NGO. At the same time, we all know that the U.S. receives thousands of young foreigners annually, and it is a legal instrument of the American public diplomacy.
I am a citizen of Russia, an academic, a researcher, and an NGO president with a good professional reputation. The campaign against me must be a method of intimidation not only of myself but of ordinary Americans who might be caught on the hook of "another Russian spy" story. The U.S. Department of Justice did not even trouble to notify me officially of the case or the sanctions, which shows the "quality" of the whole thing.
It is awkward to realize that the proofless charges of the U.S. against me may do harm to some Meeting Russia alumni. I am nevertheless confident of my innocence and sure that none of my actions endangered the people I associated with.
It is awkward to realize that the proofless charges of the U.S. against me may do harm to some Meeting Russia alumni. I am nevertheless confident of my innocence and sure that none of my actions endangered the people I associated with. Indeed, many of the people could tell their career success stories that followed their participation in Meeting Russia. I stress that no complaint has ever come from any Meeting Russia alumni over the years of the program functioning, whereas their positive feedbacks are available to the public, just like the information on all Meeting Russia events, participants, invited speakers, etc.
Commentaries on "being watched" have come from some of Meeting Russia former participants, but I regard them as a sign of fear of the machinery of the American state.
Conclusion
I, Natalia Burlinova, plead not guilty and regard the situation as an attempt to tar my reputation. The charges against me are just another episode of the U.S.-run information campaign, another news hook in the context of U.S. interior politics and the electoral cycle. The whole story of the alleged "conspiracy to commit offense or defraud the United States" by myself or Meeting Russia was made up for mass media in the tideway of Russophobia accompanying the plummeted Russian-American relations.
Fortunately, I live in Russia and have no plans of going abroad. I hope for a reaction from the Russian state on this flagrant lawless act on the part of the U.S. against ordinary Russians.
Sincerely,
Natalia Burlinova
President of Creative Diplomacy
Commentaries on "being watched" have come from some of Meeting Russia former participants, but I regard them as a sign of fear of the machinery of the American state.
Conclusion
I, Natalia Burlinova, plead not guilty and regard the situation as an attempt to tar my reputation. The charges against me are just another episode of the U.S.-run information campaign, another news hook in the context of U.S. interior politics and the electoral cycle. The whole story of the alleged "conspiracy to commit offense or defraud the United States" by myself or Meeting Russia was made up for mass media in the tideway of Russophobia accompanying the plummeted Russian-American relations.
Fortunately, I live in Russia and have no plans of going abroad. I hope for a reaction from the Russian state on this flagrant lawless act on the part of the U.S. against ordinary Russians.
Sincerely,
Natalia Burlinova
President of Creative Diplomacy
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