Since 2014, the Kremlin has spent $300 million on foreign politicians and officials.

Eight French lawmakers from Macron’s party have asked the country’s lower house of parliament to set up a committee to investigate possible Russian financing of political forces.

It is reported by Reuters .

The authors of the letter cite US intelligence, which said that Russia paid hundreds of millions of euros to political parties “in order to influence the elections

In this context, lawmakers remembered Macron’s rival in the presidential election, the leader of the right-wing party Marine Le Pen, who is still repaying the loan provided to her by Russian banks.

Russia’s covert funding of politicians around the world

On September 14, CNN published a declassified US intelligence report on Russian funding of politicians around the world. 

Since 2014, the Kremlin has spent $300 million on foreign politicians and officials in more than 20 countries to increase its own political influence.

According to sources of the publication, the Russian Federation supported, in particular, right-wing and nationalist movements. CNN’s interlocutors declined to give specific names of politicians and party names. 

The declassification of the US intelligence report came amid the discovery of Russian spies in the German government , and even earlier, the unexpected political triumph of the pro-Russian leader of the right-wing French party, Marine Le Pen . 

(C)UNIAN 2022