Russia lists World Wildlife Fund, others as foreign agents

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia has added the World Wildlife Fund to its register of foreign agents, a listing that brings additional government scrutiny. Russian law requires individuals and organizations that are determined to have received foreign funding and to have engaged in loosely defined “political activity” to identify themselves as “foreign agents.” The Russian Justice Ministry said Friday that the World Wildlife Fund tried to influence government decisions and hindered industrial and infrastructure projects “under the guise of protecting nature.” WWF representatives told Russian news site Meduza that the decision was unfounded and would be contested in court. The conservation organization has its headquarters in Washington and is involved in projects throughout the world, including Russia.