Overview

• Yulia Kirillova has denied any Kremlin affiliation despite reports linking her uncle, Sergei Cherniko, to past roles in Putin’s civic chamber.
• Since his February appointment as acting undersecretary, Darren Beattie has disbanded both the Global Engagement Center and the R/FIMI office.
• Critics highlight Beattie’s 2018 firing for attending a white nationalist rally and his social media posts praising Putin and condemning “globalist” Western institutions.
• State Department officials defend Beattie’s actions as aligned with the administration’s "America First" agenda and aimed at streamlining public diplomacy.
• Experts warn that eliminating these anti-propaganda units could undermine U.S. efforts to counter foreign disinformation and pose potential conflicts of interest.