"But Russians are resisting" – Meet Putin's exiled opponents in Europe

Wednesday, May 7, 2025

Paris-based Espace Libertés supports Russian dissidents fleeing war and repression, detailing the regime’s terror.

🔗 Read the article on voxeurop.eu


[This is an automatically generated summary, for reference only]

Espace Libertés/Reforum Space in Paris supports the Russian-speaking diaspora who oppose the war in Ukraine and were forced to leave Russia, including political opponents, journalists, artists, LGBT+ individuals, and deserters. Founded in 2012 as Russie-Libertés, the organization shifted its focus to welcoming political immigrants after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, recognizing the extreme risks faced by Russian civil society. Espace Libertés provides resources such as coworking space, language courses, legal and psychological support, and a recording studio for over 400 residents. The text details the severe repression in Russia, including laws against “LGBTQ+ propaganda” and gender transition bans, describing the current climate as one of generalized terror. While some refugees find integration difficult due to bureaucratic hurdles and political climates in Europe, others, like those with specialized skills, find it easier. The text also discusses the fragmented nature of opposition in Russia, noting that while some resistance exists, the political landscape is heavily controlled.


🔗 Read the original article

© 2026 Pulse - Europe beyond the beat


PULSE is an initiative for cross-border collaborative journalism in Europe co-funded by the European Commission under Grant Agreement n. PO 4500158093.

PULSE is an initiative coordinated by OBCT that has been promoting intensive journalistic cross-border collaborations in Europe since 2024. Its main aim is to help strengthen the European public sphere by reporting on and telling stories from new and diverse perspectives.

At the heart of PULSE are 10 leading national news outlets (Delfi – Lithuania, Deník Referendum – Czechia, Der Standard – Austria, EfSyn – Greece, El Confidencial – Spain, Gazeta Wyborcza – Poland, HotNews – Romania, HVG – Hungary, Il Sole 24 Ore – Italy, Mediapool – Bulgaria) and three transnational organisations, including OBCT , n-ost and Voxeurop .

Additional outlets and journalists are involved as associate partners, including EUobserver , Føljeton (Denmark), H-Alter (Croatia), Levila (Estonia), Rubryka (Ukraine), and The Journal Investigates (Ireland).

PULSE is driven by a sort of virtual transnational newsroom made up of journalists from all the publications involved. It collaboratively produces new journalistic content on European issues on a daily basis, coming in many different languages. The editorial output amounts to over a thousand publications per year, mostly in article form.

PULSE also runs 4 thematic networks open to any European journalist interested in crucial issues such as EU enlargement, relations between the EU and other global powers, the EU’s green transition, or media and the information society. These networks function as online communities and periodically publish calls for pitches.