They’ve granted loans to a French political party. They’ve spread around oil profits in Italy. They’ve given material support to German legislators. They’ve provided funding to a Dutch think tank that later became a political party. And they’ve cultivated and facilitated far right news websites in Sweden.
Over the past decade, Russia and other authoritarian regimes have spent more than $300 million interfering in democratic processes more than 100 times spanning 33 countries. The frequency of these financial attacks has increased exponentially.
In doing so, Russia has exploited a vast array of legal loopholes, exploiting in-kind donations, secret conduits, straw donors, shell companies, and nonprofits.
A new groundbreaking report has lifted the veil on this stealthy assault on Western democratic institutions. And today, we talk to the author of that report about what Moscow is up to, and what the West can do to protect itself.
The Power Vertical Podcast is produced by the University of Texas at Arlington’s Charles T. McDowell Center for Global Studies and the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center.
Photo: “Working trip to Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area.” President of Russia, October 2018.
