With less than two months before European voters in 27 countries take part in EU Parliament elections, Belgium has said it is investigating pro-Russian networks that are trying to influence the vote.
Prime Minister Alexander de Croo said Moscow aimed to bring more pro-Russian candidates into the European Parliament.
“Weakened support for Ukraine serves Russia on the battlefield,” he said.
Referring to the Czech revelations, de Croo said Belgian intelligence had confirmed that spy networks were operating in Belgium and several other European countries.
“The investigation shows that Moscow has approached European members of parliament, [and] has also paid European members of parliament in order to promote a Russian agenda here,” the Belgian prime minister said.
He said Belgian authorities had launched a prosecution but did not give names of anyone suspected of receiving money. No cash payment had taken place in Belgium itself although pro-Russian interference was going on, he explained.
A number of politicians on the far right in Europe are viewed as sympathetic to Russia. Czech reports have suggested that the Voice of Europe paid politicians from Germany, France, Poland, Belgium, the Netherlands and Hungary in exchange for making pro-Russian remarks to help influence the 6-9 June elections.
Earlier this week a candidate for Germany’s far-right AfD party, Petr Bystron, “vehemently denied” allegations in Czech media that he had received Russian cash.
ALSO READ THESE TOP STORIES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
