Growing reports of Russian influence in Europe. After the Czech military counterintelligence service revealed a network of Russian influence agents allegedly operating in the Czech Republic, Poland, or Germany, Belgium decided to launch an investigation into suspected Russian interference in the European Parliament elections.
Belgium takes steps first
Recently, the Czech SKW reported that a group of Russian spies, led by Putin-linked oligarch Viktor Medvchuk, was operating in the European Union. This resulted in arrests and charges. Now steps have been taken in the case by Belgium. The services there have already confirmed that a Russian network is operating in the country and its aim, among other things, is to undermine European support for Ukraine.
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said it was known that in some cases, Russians were to pay European politicians to adopt pro-Moscow optics. However, it has not been confirmed that this would occur in Brussels.
Brussels will punish Russian lobbyists
Nevertheless, Belgian courts are supposed to punish this type of lobbyist, De Croo added, saying that we have to get used to the new reality in which we live. We asked the ABW what steps had been taken to clarify the Polish threads of the case, but by the time the material was published we had not received an answer.
The European Parliament elections will be held in early June. As CNN, among others, comments – there is a high probability that a large share of votes may be gathered by far-right groups this time, as well as pro-Russian ones.
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