MOSCOW, July 3. /TASS/. Foreign financing of Russian non-government organizations (NGOs), including those engaged in destructive activities, has considerably increased in the past 18 months, Pavel Livadny, a deputy director of Russia’s Federal Service for Financial Monitoring, said on Friday.
"As compared with 2013, financing of foreign agents from certain organizations has considerably increased in 2014 and 2015 (although certain decrease is reported in 2015). Moreover, there is a tendency of consolidation of resources in big organizations and certain decrease in those which financed local movements," he told a meeting at the Federation Council, or upper house of the Russian parliament, dedicated to the formation of a ‘patriotic stop list" and a list of "undesirable NGOs."
"It means we can now single out these organizations, which undoubtedly can be referred to as undesirable or put on the ‘patriotic stop list,’" he said.
"These biggest organizations are financing the activity of various NGOs in Russia, first of all, foreign agents, as political players," Livadny said. "’Foreign agents,’ or organizations directly engaged in political activities, account for 90-95% of financing."
Livadny drew attention to the variety of methods used by non-government organizations. "Sometimes, these are demonstrative methods. Having encountered tough reaction of the Russian authorities and society, these methods give way to guile, i.e. financing via commercial organizations, via individuals and be means of using e-payment systems," he said.
When asked to confirm that foreign financing of Russian NGOs in 2014 had reached 70 billion rubles ($1.25 billion), Livadny said, "About that much, even more." "It is rather lavish financing. But the situation is developing dynamically and it is difficult to say a concrete figure — it will only disorient society," he said.