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US conducting ‘major investigation’ into how Russia is ‘infiltrating political parties in Europe’
By Gabriela Motroc
American intelligence agencies will conduct a massive investigation into how Russia is infiltrating political parties in Europe.
The Telegraph exclusively reported in mid-January that the U.S. Congress has instructed James Clapper, the U.S. Director of National Intelligence to organise a major review into how the Kremlin is “infiltrating political parties in Europe” over the last ten years. The review mirrors Washington’s growing concerns over Russia’s determination to exploit Europe’s lack of unity with the goal of undermining NATO, revoking the economic sanctions imposed after Crimea’s annexation and blocking U.S. missile defence programmes.
Senior British government officials told the newspaper that the United States’ decision to conduct the investigation is influenced by the fear of a prospective “new cold war” in Europe. The Telegraph cited the source as saying that there is “alarming evidence of Russian efforts to unpick the fabric of European unity on a whole range of vital strategic issues.”
The Sunday Telegraph saw a dossier of ‘Russian influence activity’ and identified Russian influence operations running in a handful of European countries such as Hungary, the Netherlands, France, Austria and the Czech Republic.
The review carried out by the United States is meant to see whether Russian security services are funding charities and parties with the intent of undermining both political cohesion and attempts to find alternatives to Russian energy. Although officials refused to divulge which parties could come into the probe, the list may include far-right groups including Golden Dawn in Greece, Jobbik in Hungary, Front National in France and the Northern League in Italy.
There are reasons to worry in Austria too after Austrian MPs visited Crimea to endorse its annexation. Russian influence has also been detected in a referendum in the Netherlands next April over whether to cut off the European Union’s relations with Ukraine.
Sources told The Telegraph that Russia is also trying to influence politics in Britain. Igor Sutyagin, the Russia specialist at the Royal United Services Institute revealed that Russia’s propaganda machine is “very active.” Russia reportedly operates covertly to avoid political blowback, but with a clear aim –to weaken the will of the West to fight and to mature doubts not only over NATO, but also over the European Union and economic sanctions. Mr Sutyagin claims that Russia is violating the “unwritten rules between nation states.” At the same time, the country led by Vladimir Putin knows the West will hurt their values of freedom of expression if they choose to ban the Kremlin.
Alexander Yakovenko, the Russian ambassador to London, said the election of Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader would be a “radical breakthrough.” Mr Yakovenko hailed the election as a “democratic mandate” for his platform of “support for the UK’s nuclear disarmament, opposition to military interventions of the West and conviction that NATO has outstayed its raison d’etre with the end of the Cold War.”
The U.K. has recently taken steps to stop Russia’s plans. In August 2015, the Russian embassy said the Home Office had forced out four of its diplomats by refusing to extend their visas.
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