The Washington Post: Russia spent millions of dollars on a secret global political campaign in the world

Russia spent millions of dollars on a secret global political campaign in the world — it formed political interests abroad that correspond to the interests of the Kremlin.

The American newspaper The Washington Post writes about this with reference to an intelligence review that the administration of US President Joe Biden ordered this summer.

Thus, since 2014, Russia has secretly sent at least $300 million to foreign political parties and politicians in more than two dozen countries, trying to shape and influence political events beyond its borders. In total, 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 the Kremlinʼs interests.

Kremlin-linked forces have also used shell companies, think tanks and other means to influence political events, sometimes in favor of far-right groups. The report includes the names of, in particular, "Putinʼs cook" Yevgeniy Prigozhin and businessman Aleksandr Babakov.

A senior US official said the administration decided to declassify some of the reviewʼs findings in an effort to counter Russiaʼs ability to influence political systems in Europe, Africa and elsewhere. The official also pointed to one Asian country where a Russian ambassador allegedly handed over millions of dollars in cash to a presidential candidate.