Russia reportedly spent around US$300 million to secretly fund political parties and candidates in more than two dozen countries since 2014–seemingly the country’s attempt to shape global political powers to suit its interests.
According to a new US intelligence report, which US President Joe Biden’s administration commissioned, Moscow also plans to spend more hundreds of millions of dollars as part of its covert campaign to weaken democratic systems and promote global political forces.
Reports from the White House senior officials, who want to remain anonymous, intimated that the administration intends to declassify critical parts of the report to counter Russia’s deep-rooted campaigns to sway political dynamic in other countries.
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“By shining this light on Russian covert political financing and Russian attempts to undermine democratic processes, we’re putting these foreign parties and candidates on notice that if they accept Russian money secretly we can and we will expose it,” the official said.
The officials added that the review points to some countries where these covert operations have been observed, like Albania, Montenegro, Madagascar and, potentially, Ecuador. The Kremlin is said to sometimes use shell companies and think tanks to channel through the secret political funds.
In a particular scenario, Moscow reportedly funded a presidential run in one unidentified Asian nation through a million-dollar donation via the Russian ambassador.
The US State Department earlier flagged Russia’s actions, notifying its embassies in more than 100 countries. The executive department urged its allies to protect their political processes and push back Moscow’s influence via additional sanctions and bans.
The report surfaced in the midst of an energy standoff between the US and Russia, and trading price caps in the face of a total energy cutoff from Moscow.
Information for this briefing was found via The Washington Post. The author has no securities or affiliations related to this organization. Not a recommendation to buy or sell. Always do additional research and consult a professional before purchasing a security. The author holds no licenses.
