MOSCOW, March 30. /TASS/. The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), which is preparing a media attack on Russia and its president, is connected with the US leadership, Andrey Tatarinov, director of the Actual Politics Center, told TASS Wednesday.
"The new information injection against President [Vladimir] Putin is being prepared by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, the office of that structure is based in Washington, and it is subordinate to the American Center for Public Integrity," the expert explained.
"The center is funded by such funds as for example the MacArthur Foundation," he specified, recalling that "the foundation is directly connected with the US Department of State and is funded by it." He said the center’s board of directors member is Richard Lobo, who "got high posts in US media structures by personal appointment by Barack Obama."
Tatarinov also reported that "all these intricate organizations and foundations that accumulate journalists working ‘on our country’ are supervised by the American state structure BBG, whose leadership includes Secretary of State John Kerry and which deals with all external broadcasting."
"The budgets of that media structure are huge, they are comparable only with US expenditures on military operations," he said.
The political scientist linked information attacks with Russia’s independent and successful policy.
"Much has been said about the reasons of these attacks: the Russian Aerospace Forces’ successful operation in Syria, the country’s loud and just position at international rostrums, and of course the return of Crimea," Tatarinov said.
"It’s worth noting that attacks on Russia and in particular on the president on the part of the West will intensify, as this year the country is in for State Duma elections, and then (in 2018) it will see presidential elections," he said.
"The West is using all possible methods to destabilize society and elites in that period," Tatarinov said.
Earlier, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists that a number of media are preparing an "outspoken preplanned" information attack on Russian President Vladimir Putin and his entourage.