With Telegram your data ends up in Germany.
They are Berlin based and against the current Russian government AFAIK.
I actually trust whatsapp way less, simply because it has NO problems with russian special forces, which became very high-tech last years. This alone is a big red flag today.
Do you have a source for this?
As for goverment intentions, I have no direct link, but those who simply ignored their demands were blocked. We wait and see what happens.
In terms of data, I imagine the US to be just as bad if not much worse (my prejudice) than Russia.
Someone can school me on this if I'm wrong but I prefer Telegram as a platform and I'm ambivalent as to which country my data ends up in (given this choice).
(Editing this comment based on above: "Small correction. With Telegram your data ends up in Germany. They are Berlin based and against the current Russian government")
For example, please see https://freedomhouse.org
I agree with you to a certain extent but, please, this is a broken "proof".
The UK sucks just as bad. The current PM has just announced plans to regulate the web if they win the next election.
Please don't be so naive as to equate the UK and USA with Putin's Russia.