International Club of National Unity
The International Club of National Unity (Russian: Международный клуб народного единства, abbreviated MKNE) is a Russian nonprofit organization established in Moscow in January 2025 to commit to "interaction with foreign journalists, bloggers and opinion leaders." The organization describes itself as a platform for public diplomacy intended to promote international cooperation, Russian culture and what it calls traditional spiritual and moral values.[1]
The club organizes conferences and media programs featuring Russian political figures and foreign commentators. Its activities have included a conference in Vitebsk concerning the cultural and information space of the Union State of Russia and Belarus, media events involving Western political commentators, and a declaration concerning people whom the organization describes as political prisoners in Ukraine.[2][3]
Investigative journalists have characterized the organization as a Russian disinformation and influence project, citing its planned foreign offices, media production, educational programs and membership of Russian political figures, pro-Russian Ukrainian figures and foreign commentators.[4]
History and organization
[edit]The organization was registered in Moscow on 23 January 2025 under the full name Autonomous Noncommercial Organization “International Center for Strategic Development of Cultural, Historical and Interethnic Relations ‘Club of National Unity’”. Its registered director is Igor Goncharenko. Its recorded founders are Igor Goncharenko, Alexander Kazakov, Dmitry Veyalainen and Igor Belousov.[5]
The club’s website identifies its mission as strengthening international relations through public diplomacy, cultural activity and cooperation between civic organizations. Its stated objectives include establishing representatives in foreign countries, producing media, conducting educational programs, organizing humanitarian activities. The club also has a mission of responding to what it regards as misinformation about Russia.[1]
An investigation by the Ukrainian Center for Investigative Journalism described Goncharenko as a former general producer at Ukraine’s state television broadcaster who later relocated to Russian-occupied Crimea. The investigation reported that Goncharenko also headed a foundation supporting the rehabilitation of Russian military personnel and that some people involved with that foundation subsequently became associated with the club.[4]
The club initially identified Sergei Glazyev, Alexander Kazakov, Nikolai Azarov and State Duma member Yana Lantratova as co-chairs. Its leadership and participant lists have also included Russian politicians, media personalities, military commentators and foreign political commentators.[4][1] Membership and leadership information published by the organization has changed since its establishment.
The Center for Investigative Journalism described the club as a project intended to advance Russian interests abroad through methods associated with soft power. The publication compared its planned international network with institutions such as Rossotrudnichestvo and the Russkiy Mir Foundation.[4] This characterization is disputed implicitly by the club’s own description of itself as an independent public-diplomacy platform.[1]
Activities
[edit]Conferences
[edit]The club held its first conference in January 2025.[4] Participants shown or identified in reporting included members of the club’s leadership, Russian public figures and foreign commentators known for spreading disinformation.
In July 2025, club representatives participated in an international conference in Vitebsk, Belarus, held in connection with the Slavianski Bazaar festival and the Days of the Union State. Belarusian broadcaster STV reported that the conference brought together political analysts, legislators, artists and bloggers from 14 countries.[2]
The conference addressed the development of a shared cultural and information space between Russia and Belarus, cooperation between universities, youth education and the digital presentation of a common historical and cultural heritage. Organizers said that a final resolution would be presented to the leaders of Russia and Belarus.[2] Kazakov, identified by STV as a co-chair of the club, advocated a unified information, cultural and historical space.[2]
Media programs
[edit]The organization produces filmed interviews, discussions and podcasts involving its members and invited commentators. Its programs have included projects hosted by Alexander Kazakov and Andrei Klintsevich and programs featuring American commentators Larry C. Johnson, Andrew Napolitano and convicted sex offender Scott Ritter.[1]
In October 2025, the club participated in a Moscow media forum organized around appearances by Johnson. A closing press conference was held at the TASS press center.[6]
Declaration concerning Ukraine
[edit]In 2025, the club published a declaration concerning people it described as political prisoners in Ukraine. The declaration was addressed to national governments, international organizations and religious leaders.[3][7]
A version publicized in September 2025 contained 496 names. The club called for their release and rehabilitation, the restoration of affected individuals’ citizenship and legal rights, and the creation of an international mechanism to investigate alleged arbitrary detention and mistreatment by Ukrainian authorities.[7]
The list included former Ukrainian prime minister Nikolai Azarov, politician Viktor Medvedchuk, singer Taisia Povaliy and other political figures, activists and journalists.[7] The descriptions and political-prisoner designations were the club’s characterizations and were not independently verified by the reporting publication.
An examination by the independent Russian-language outlet Vot Tak questioned the declaration’s numerical claims and methodology. It reported that the club continued soliciting names after announcing that the declaration had been submitted and examined the political and organizational affiliations of people associated with the initiative.[3]
Reception
[edit]The Center for Investigative Journalism described the club as part of a Russian propaganda and soft-power network. It highlighted the presence of Russian nationalist thinkers, sanctioned political figures, pro-Russian Ukrainian activists and foreign commentators who had previously appeared on Russian state or state-aligned media.[4]
The same investigation compared the organization with the International Association of Friends of Crimea, a Russian-supported organization established to promote international recognition of Russia’s annexation of Crimea. It noted that the organizations had some participants in common.[4]
Russian and Belarusian media have generally presented the organization in favorable terms. Moskovskij Komsomolets reported the claims in the club’s declaration largely without challenging its underlying methodology,[7] while STV presented the Vitebsk conference as an effort to strengthen cultural and information cooperation between Russia and Belarus.[2]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 "Клуб Народного Единства". Клуб Народного Единства (in Russian). Retrieved 18 September 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "В Витебске говорили о развитии единого культурного и информационного пространства Беларуси и России". Столичное телевидение (in Russian). 11 July 2025. Retrieved 18 September 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Россия заявила о «7 тысячах политзаключенных» в Украине. Список составила организация, связанная с идеологом «русского мира» Дугиным". Вот Так (in Russian). 21 August 2025. Retrieved 18 September 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Huzema, Solomiia (10 September 2025). "Як колишній генпродюсер НТКУ лікує окупантів та просуває «русскій мір» з Азаровим, Глазьєвим і Дугіним". Center for Investigative Journalism (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 18 September 2026.
- ↑ "АНО «Клуб народного единства»". РБК Компании (in Russian). RBC. Retrieved 18 September 2026.
- ↑ "Пресс-конференция по итогам «Недели с Ларри Джонсоном в Москве»". TASS (in Russian). 21 October 2025. Retrieved 18 September 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 Kalashnikova, Elizaveta (25 September 2025). "Репрессии по-киевски: обнародован список из почти 500 украинских политзаключенных". Moskovskij Komsomolets (in Russian). Retrieved 18 September 2026.