Russia outlaws US based think tank RAND Corporation as ‘undesirable’

Russia on Thursday outlawed the US based think tank RAND Corporation, and added the organization to its list of “undesirable” organizations. In a statement published on Thursday, Moscow’s Justice Ministry said that the global policy think tank RAND Corporation is ‘undesirable’ and therefore all activities related to the American think tank are banned effective immediately. Russia’s outlawing of the RAND corporation puts its staff at risk of jail. It remains unclear on what grounds Russia decided to blacklist the research and development nonprofit.

RAND Corporation has been involved in publishing dozens of analysis linked to Russia’s military since President Vladimir Putin ordered his troops to invade the neighbouring Ukraine, labelling the offensive as the “special military operation.” Shortly after February 24 invasion of Ukraine 2 years ago, Russia’s parliament Kremlin adopted a broad range of new bills to instate the war censorship or sentence those who spread ‘misinformation’ or demeaned the armed forces of Russia.

The bill involves long prison sentences for “offences” like referring to the armed conflict in Ukraine as  “war” or criticising the invasion, as well as any political dissent. As thousands of Russians protested against the war in Ukraine and condemned the invasion, Roskomnadzor (RKN), Russia’s state media and communications regulator, warned the state mass media against disseminating “unverified” and “false” information regarding the aim of the military operation in the eastern Donbass region.

Putin derides ‘Western hypocricy’

Russia’s President slammed the ‘double standards’ of the Western media for condemning Russia for military operation in Ukraine but remaining silent on the violence suffered by the civilians in the contentious Donbass breakaway region for eight years by armed Ukrainian militias. Putin derided the Western nations for ignoring what he describes as the ‘genoide’ of the ethnic Russian speaking population in Ukraine's breakaway region and its failure in being able to resolve the conflict there through the Minsk peace progress. 

Putin said at a state conference that West ignored Russia’s security guarantees demands and there has been no constructive responses on the issue for years. "It was a year of difficult, necessary decisions, the most important steps toward gaining full sovereignty of Russia and powerful consolidation of our society, he said. The West lied about peace, but was preparing for aggression, Putin asserted, adding that Ukraine persecuted Russian speakers in the eastern Donbas region that was under the control of Russian-backed separatists since 2014.