Published 20 May 2021 at 11.31
Abroad. A couple of Russian pranksters managed to get the state-funded US agency National Endowment for Democracy, NED, to reveal how they helped organize the mass protests in Belarus in August. It reports RT.
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The infamous prank callers, who call themselves Vovan and Lexus, got into a video call with high-ranking NED representatives.
and one of her advisers.
During the interview, Nina Ognianova, who oversees NED's work with local organizations in Belarus, outlined the extensive programs funded by the US agency in the country.
– Many of those who have been trained at these hubs and become involved in their work have now begun to lead in the organization in the local community, says Ognianova.
Nina Ognianova emphasizes that NED played a key role in starting the mass protests that emerged after Belarus' leader Alexander Lukashenko declared victory in the country's presidential election in August last year.
– We believe that our long-term trust-building work with our partners in Belarus really led to these events last summer, or what led to the events, she says.
Nina Ognianova continues:
– We do not believe that this movement, which is so impressive and inspiring, came from nowhere – that it only appeared overnight. But it has grown and our modest but significant contribution has been to enable local actors to carry out the important work. Washington already worked “very, very close” Svyatlana Tsichanouskaja and her associates. He then asked the opposition figure, who fled to neighboring Lithuania after the election, to present his views on the situation, “so that we can understand what your strategy is … and how we can be helpful”.
The comments are likely to fuel Lukashenko's earlier claims that domestic opposition to his government is being fueled from abroad, writes RT.