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Countering Malign Kremlin Influence (CMKI)

USAID created the Countering Malign Kremlin Influence (CMKI) Development Framework to respond to an open assault on democracies and market economies and to safeguard the development gains that partners have worked so hard to achieve. Launched in July 2019, the CMKI Development Framework represents an effort by USAID’s Bureau for Europe and Eurasia to tailor assistance to the most urgent threats posed by Kremlin malign influence.

Through modernized forms of subversive tactics—including election interference, disinformation campaigns, corruption, and organized crime—Russia continues to interfere in the domestic political affairs of other countries to destabilize democratic and pro-Western allies across Europe and Eurasia. America’s foreign policy goal to counter Russian influence is supported by both Congress and the White House. Legislative actions, such as the passage of the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act and creation of the Countering Russian Influence Fund, seek to offset Russian posturing and meddling throughout Europe and Eurasia.

USAID’s programming in Europe and Eurasia, while focused on strengthening democracy, governance, and economic growth, has been increasingly tied to countering Russian aggression. This occurred in response to heightened awareness of Russian aggression following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2014, which led Congress to reestablish a dedicated account for, and increased funding to, the region. In response to questions from Congress about how USAID was resourcing efforts to counter Russian influence, Agency officials developed a framework to focus their assistance activities on the most urgent threats posed by the Kremlin.

In July 2019, USAID released its Countering Malign Kremlin Influence (CMKI) Development Framework, with the overall goal of increasing the resilience of partner countries against Kremlin influence. Accordingly, USAID used the framework to inform country strategies and programming in Europe and Eurasia.

Malign Kremlin influence is now the most pressing challenge for advancing democratic and economic progress in Europe and Eurasia (E&E). Moscow’s capacity to spread malign influence throughout the E&E region and beyond is multifaceted and sophisticated. It includes the use of military force, disinformation campaigns, eforts to undermine democratic institutions and processes, and cyberattacks.

E&E countries’ vulnerabilities to Kremlin malign influence are exacerbated by substantial economic dependence on Russian trade and investment, by dependence on Russian energy, by information environments that are highly connected and exposed to Kremlin-dominated media, and by democratic backsliding in several countries in the region. In addition, the communist legacy of endemic corruption across all sectors of economic and political life creates fertile soil for Kremlin interference.

The Kremlin regularly interferes in the domestic political systems of countries in the region, seeking to undermine democracy and the free societies that support it. The Kremlin has tried to exert illicit infuence on governmental and electoral processes in the region. Moscow has also called for the restriction, over-regulation, and defamation of nongovernmental organizations, regularly branding independent civil society organizations (CSOs) as a ‘ffth column’ representing foreign interests and enacting laws to restrict legitimate CSO activities.

From the ‘foreign agents’ registration act to the ‘undesirable foreign organizations’ legislation, the Kremlin has not only harassed, restricted, and isolated CSOs at home, but also has created models that other countries in the region (and around the globe) have emulated. Additionally, the Kremlin has presented democracies in the region as chaotic, incompetent, vulnerable to Western dictates, and controlled by unreliable or dangerous leaders.

Corruption is another key entry point for Kremlin malign infuence in the E&E region. In 2019, Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index ranked many countries of the region as among the world’s most corrupt. Corruption has become even more of a challenge for the region, as the Kremlin seeks to involve other countries in corrupt practices for Russia’s own beneft. Most notably, Kremlin interests have used illicit schemes to launder money through banks in the region. Kremlin interests have also pushed anti-competitiveness business practices across a variety of industries, including the energy sector.

Initial phases of this work began in 2017. USAID recognized the need for a strategic, focused approach to this major, pressing challenge. In conceiving and devising the CMKI Development Framework, USAID's Bureau for Europe and Eurasia consulted widely within USAID, across the U.S. Government, with Members of Congress and worked closely with USAID mission staff to ensure the framework reflects realities on the ground.

Where the Kremlin acts to destabilize, weaken, and undermine democratic processes and institutions, USAID fosters more democratic, efective, transparent, service-oriented governing institutions. These stronger governing institutions, grounded in durable, real connections to citizens, will empower partner countries to maintain, or regain momentum on their development paths. While the Kremlin wages disinformation warfare, USAID is leading eforts to bolster objective, fact-based media outlets in the region, which produce credible news and information.

As the Kremlin seeks to leverage its energy dominance for its political advantage, USAID expands energy independence. While the Kremlin uses economic bullying tactics and sows doubt in the value of transparent, rule-based market economies, USAID helps partner countries open up new markets, spur business creation, foster competitiveness, and adopt new rules favorable to doing business and attracting investment. And while the Kremlin exports corruption across all of these sectors for its own beneft, USAID worked to build transparency, accountability, and respect for law.

Over the course of this first year, USAID teams operationalized the CMKI Development Framework in a way that builds resilience against the Kremlin’s self-serving interventions. In that same period of time, USAID's work has achieved notable impact. From efforts to identify and shut down social media accounts spreading harmful disinformation, to bolstering elections administration against cyberthreats, to creating systems of transparency in public institutions, USAID programs are shoring up vulnerabilities routinely targeted by the Kremlin.

Taken together, USAID programs implemented under the CMKI Development Framework are helping partner countries meet the challenge of countering malign Kremlin influence while maintaining momentum toward their own long-term development goals on the Journey to Self-Reliance.