Russia has secretly funneled at least $300 million to foreign political parties and candidates in more than two dozen countries since 2014 in an attempt to shape political events beyond its borders, according to a new intelligence review. american intelligence
Moscow planned to spend hundreds of millions of dollars more as part of its covert campaign to weaken democratic systems and promote global political forces seen as aligned with Kremlin interests, according to the review, which the Biden administration commissioned this summer .
A senior U.S. official, who like other officials spoke to reporters on Tuesday on condition of anonymity to discuss the intelligence findings, said the administration decided to declassify some of the review’s findings to try to counter Russia’s ability to influence the political systems of European countries. Africa and other places.
“By shining this light on Russian covert political funding and Russian attempts to undermine democratic processes, we are putting these foreign parties and candidates on notice that if they secretly accept Russian money, we can and will expose it,” the official said.
Countries where such activities were identified included Albania, Montenegro, Madagascar and potentially Ecuador, according to an administration source familiar with the matter.
The officials pointed to an Asian country, which they declined to name, where they said the Russian ambassador gave millions of dollars in cash to a presidential candidate. They said Kremlin-linked forces have also used shell companies, think tanks and other means to influence political events, sometimes to the benefit of far-right groups.
The senior official said the US government detected an increase in covert Russian political funding in 2014. The review did not address Russian activities in the United States.
Assessments by US spy agencies and a bipartisan Senate investigation concluded that Russia under President Vladimir Putin launched a campaign to interfere in the 2016 presidential election to help then-candidate Donald Trump.
The release of details about the Kremlin’s alleged political influence campaign comes as the United States ramps up its military support for Ukraine in its war against Russia, now in its seventh month.
Since the beginning of the year, the White House has taken the unusual step of repeatedly releasing declassified information related to Moscow’s intentions and actions related to Ukraine, as part of an attempt to roll back Putin’s ambitions there and counter the which US officials have described as Russian disinformation operations.
A State Department is approaching on Monday in U.S. embassies in more than 100 countries described alleged Russian activities and suggested steps the U.S. and its allies can take to curb them, including sanctions, travel bans or the deportation of suspected Russian spies involved in political financing activities.
The cable, which officials provided to reporters, said Russian political funding was sometimes monitored by Russian government officials and lawmakers, and had been executed by bodies including Russia’s Federal Security Service.
The focus he also named Russian oligarchs he said were involved in “funding schemes,” including Yevgeniy Prigozhin and Aleksandr Babakov. Prigozhin, known as “Putin’s chef” after making large sums in Russian government catering contracts, was accused by US officials in 2018 of trying to interfere in the 2016 US election. He has been linked to the private military firm Wagner and is wanted by the FBI.
Moscow has used cryptocurrency, cash and gifts to shape political events in other countries, often using Russian embassy accounts and resources to do so, the cable said.
“In the coming months, Russia may increasingly rely on its toolkit of covert influence, including covert political financing, in Central and South America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia in an attempt to undermine the effectiveness of international sanctions and maintain its influence in these months. regions amid its ongoing war in Ukraine,” he said.
US diplomats are informing their counterparts in other countries about the activities, which US officials believe could go well beyond the nations and sums that have been identified.
“We think this is just the tip of the iceberg,” the senior official said. “So instead of standing on the sidelines, we’re sharing these response measures.”
US officials are also asking partner nations to share their own information on Russian funding to help the US government get a fuller picture of what Russia is up to.
While the review did not address Russian influence efforts in the United States, the senior official acknowledged that the issue remains a significant challenge that requires continued work to safeguard the US political system and elections.
“There’s no doubt that we have that vulnerability as well,” the official said.
Paul Sonne in Washington contributed to this report.
War in Ukraine: what you need to know
The last: Ukraine’s grain shipments are accelerating under the deal struck by Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the United Nations in July. Russia’s blockade of Ukrainian Black Sea ports had pushed up food prices and raised fears of more famine in the Middle East and Africa. At least 18 ships, including loads of wheat, corn and sunflower oil, have left.
The fight: The conflict on the ground continues as Russia uses its advantage in heavy artillery to pound Ukrainian forces, which have at times been able to put up strong resistance. In the south, Ukraine’s hope rests on the liberation of the Russian-occupied Kherson region and eventually Crimea, seized by Russia in 2014. Fears of a disaster at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant remain , as both sides accuse each other of bombing it.
The weapons: Western arms supplies are helping Ukraine stem Russian advances. US-supplied High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) allow Ukrainian forces to strike beyond Russian lines against Russian artillery. Russia has used a number of weapons against Ukraine, some of which have drawn the attention and concern of analysts.
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How you can help: Here are ways that those in the United States can help support the Ukrainian people, as well as what people around the world have given.
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