The State Department releases a partial report that estimates Moscow’s payments to foreign parties, officials and candidates in more than two dozen countries at $300 million since 2014
Russia has mounted international campaigns to weaken democratic systems and promote political forces aligned with its interests, funneling $300 million in payments since 2014 to political parties, officials and foreign candidates in more than two dozen countries, it appears. from a report. Summer, released in part this week, in an effort to counter the Kremlin’s ability to influence political systems in countries in Europe, Africa and elsewhere.
According to the State Department report, Kremlin subsidiaries also used empty companies, think tank groups and other means to influence political developments, sometimes in favor of far-right groups. The US government considers Russia’s election meddling “an attack on sovereignty”, similar to Russia’s war on Ukraine. And he estimates the findings represent just “the tip of the iceberg” of the global scale of Moscow’s interference that could extend far beyond the nations and amounts discovered.
The report, shared with other countries, only released the names of a few countries, including Albania, Montenegro, Madagascar and possibly Ecuador. There is also mention of an undisclosed Asian country where the Russian ambassador has given millions of dollars in cash to a presidential candidate.
The partial release of the investigations, which excludes Russian activities in the United States, is part of the Biden administration’s first attempt to share intelligence materials to expose the extent of Russian interference in political processes and elections around the world. . mobilize other countries to fight it. Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election in support of candidate Trump has been abundantly documented in intelligence reports and a bipartisan Senate investigation. Other Secret Service documents reveal Putin’s authorized campaign to harm Biden’s 2020 presidential bid for Trump.
The foreign ministry on Monday sent a message to its embassies in more than 100 countries detailing Russian activity and measures to counter it, such as sanctions, a travel ban or the expulsion of Russian spies involved in political financing activities. Details provided to the press identify Russian oligarchs involved in the funding schemes, including Yevgeniy Prigozhin and Aleksander Babakov, who are both close associates of Putin.
Prigozhin, known as “Putin’s chef” for earning large sums from Russian government catering contracts, was indicted in 2018 for his attempted interference in the 2016 US election. Wanted by the FBI, he has been linked to the firm. private military Wagner, considered a secret unit of the Russian military intelligence GRU. In April, the Justice Department accused Babakov, who is also a Russian lawmaker, as well as two other Russian citizens, of conspiracy to violate US sanctions and a visa fraud scheme through a network of disinformation and influence. Abroad.
Payments are made in cash, cryptocurrency, wire transfers and luxury gifts, and go through a wide variety of institutions to keep the funding source opaque, a practice known as “cutouts.” The institutions are usually foundations, study centers, organized crime groups, political consultancies, front companies and state-owned enterprises in the country. According to the report, the funds are also secretly transferred through Russian embassy accounts and funds.
Source: La Verdad
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