The mysterious young woman from Russia Vladimir Putin is counting on

On 17 May 2021- months before he invaded Ukraine – Putin signed a decree creating the Presidential Foundation for Cultural Initiatives (PKFI).

According to the official description on the Kremlin website, the PKFI awards grants to cultural and creative projects run by commercial entities, non-profit organizations, and individual entrepreneurs. To qualify, applicants must portray Russia as “a country that builds good partnership relations with other nations, upholds traditional values, and acts as a good neighbour that resolves disputes peacefully.”

However, as the United24 Media portal reports, the foundation’s true purpose is propaganda with clearly defined objectives.

“Attacking Ukraine is normal—but we need to be friends with Russia again”

For domestic Russian audiences, PKFI-backed projects primarily glorify the invasion of Ukraine and normalize the annexation of occupied Ukrainian territories.

For foreign audiences – especially in Europe and the United States – the content promotes warming or normalizing relations with Russia in various ways.

Propaganda Without Borders

One of the flagship initiatives of Putin’s program is the public relations agency Limitless (Безгранични in Russian), founded and led by 30-year-old Maria Dudko, a Moscow-based lawyer previously employed as a PR specialist for several Russian parliament members.

Now heading Limitless, Dudko orchestrates a propaganda network involving more than 30 foreign online influencers who depict Russia as a paradise on social media.

An international team that loves Russia

The agency employs 36 individuals from countries including Italy, France, Germany, the United States, Peru, Iran, China, Japan, Mexico, and others. They promote Russia primarily through travel vlogs and lifestyle content posted on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and other platforms.

Some influencers visit Russia regularly while living abroad; others have relocated there permanently. Their content focuses mainly on daily life in Russia.

Collectively, Limitless influencers reach several million followers across platforms, with the majority of their audience consisting of Western social media users—predominantly younger demographics.

“Russia is the best country I’ve ever lived in”

Beyond showcasing landmarks and culture, some influencers also serve as political commentators.

One prominent example is Alexandra Jost, an American with Russian roots who operates under the handle Sasha Meets Russia on X. She frequently criticizes Europe and the United States, blames Ukraine for the war, and has repeatedly claimed that life in Russia surpasses that of any other country.

Sunny autumn day in Moscow 🍂
lucky to be living here 🇷🇺 pic.twitter.com/wYefYNTUR1
— Sasha Meets Russia (@sashameetsrus) September 30, 2025

Although she insists she is not a paid propagandist and posts solely out of love for Russia, she concealed the fact that Russian state broadcaster RT paid her an average of nearly €2,000 per month in 2024 for content glorifying Russia.

Similar payments were made to other foreign and domestic influencers collaborating with RT to promote Russia, primarily to European and American audiences.

The exact compensation received by influencers working with Maria Dudko’s agency remains unknown. However, it is evident that their posts are Kremlin-approved.

According to United24, while direct payments to Limitless influencers cannot currently be confirmed, all content posted under the agency’s umbrella has been vetted by Russian authorities. As a PKFI-funded project, the influencers are at minimum indirect beneficiaries of the grants Maria Dudko receives through the foundation.

When the news broke, the list of influencers vanished

After media outlets exposed Limitless and its ties to Russian authorities, the agency removed the list of collaborating foreign influencers from its website.

Alexandra “Sasha” Jost, the Sasha Meets Russia account manager, even claimed on X on Monday that she had never heard of Limitless.

Her name, however, remains archived on the original influencer list, accessible via the Wayback Machine. Internet researchers also uncovered a photo of her wearing a T-shirt bearing the Limitless logo. She later admitted to being invited on a trip to Russia but maintained that she was not paid for it.

Gang, surely a professional propagandist wouldn't lie to us. PS, can anyone tell me what that logo on her T-shirt translates to? https://t.co/TF7U36qajL pic.twitter.com/63zOR6RqoD
— Armchair Copelord (@ArmchairCopelrd) October 21, 2025