ANP products | Source: AP
Washington
The US State Department says Russia has spent more than $300 million since 2014 to covertly influence politicians in at least 24 countries. The ministry relied on an assessment report by US intelligence released on Tuesday. This is just the “tip of the iceberg,” said a senior official of US President Joe Biden.
“U.S. intelligence believes that this is a minimal amount and that Russia may have secretly transferred additional funds in undetected cases,” the official said. The review did not identify specific countries targeted by Russian interference. However, it is about countries on four different continents. The affected countries are currently being kept secret by the US.
Russia spent $500,000 to support Albania’s center-right Democratic Party during the 2017 elections, French news agency AFP reported, citing an anonymous source. Political parties and candidates from Bosnia, Montenegro and Madagascar are also reported. Funding must have helped.. Also, according to the source, Brussels would have been used as a hub from which far-right candidates were supported and fictitious entities were used to fund European parties and buy influence elsewhere.
The US has accused Russia of meddling in the US presidential election. Russia has denied allegations that the US interfered in Russia’s 2021 parliamentary elections.