'Voice of Europe', a Czech website that Russia used to “buy European politicians,” falls

However, its readers were being victims of the particular hybrid war that Russia has launched against the West. In fact, just a few days ago the authorities of the Czech Republic identified the website as a Russian propaganda platform.

Last week, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala presented an investigation by his country's Security Information Service (BIS) according to which Voice of Europe was developing activityis with a “serious impact on the security of the Czech Republic and the EU“In addition, the aforementioned media was planning a series of “operations and activities on EU territory directed against the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine,” according to statements by the head of the Czech Government collected by the newspaper. Moscow Timesan independent English-speaking Russian newspaper located in the Netherlands.

[Las mentiras de Rusia sobre el origen de la guerra en Ucrania]

In view of its activities, the Czech authorities have started to include this pro-Russian platform in their list of those affected by the sanctions imposed on Russia, according to the explanations given by Fiala. Apparently, from Prague, Voice of Europe I would have given even more than favored treatment for political figures from Germany, France, Poland, Belgium, the Netherlands and Hungary. The Czech authorities are talking about giving money to these politicians, whom they would try to influence in the face of the next European elections, scheduled for next June, as reported by the British network. BBC.

Two pro-Russian Ukrainians

Other international mediaas Politicalbased in Brussels, have referred to the case of Voice of Europe as a “Russian influence scandal”. The vice president of the European Commission, also Czech Věra Jourová, explained to Political that the case of this platform is further proof “that the Kremlin is using dubious media outlets, platforms that pose as media outlets and use money to buy influence.”

In back of Voice of Europeas has emerged thanks to the German weekly Der Spiegelthere are two well-known pro-Russian people: the Ukrainian oligarch Victor Medvedchuk and his partner Artem Marchevsky. The first of them is accused in Ukraine of high treason.

Through its networks, the Prague-based news platform has stated that it is unfairly considered “Putinist” by “recently unpopular globalist elites”, the “press “mainstream” whom he accuses of being “lackeys” of power and, finally, by the “non-governmental organizations financed by the Soros Foundation.” “Lawsuits against the Czech Government are on the way,” they have noted from Voice of Europe.

In Berlin, which has recently been a victim of Russian espionage with a leak from senior military officials discussing an eventual delivery of Taurus missiles to Ukraine, the Chancellor's Government Olaf Scholz has realized the importance of putting the activities of Voice of Europe. According to him he has declared to Der Spiegel German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, the revelations about the middle represent a “hard blow against the Russian propaganda apparatus.”

The German extreme right, involved

Der Spiegel has revealed that, among the politicians who have been seen on the pages of Voice of Europe figure, among others, the leader of the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) for the next European elections, Maximilian Krah. This politician has denied having received money or any other type of remuneration from the pro-Russian media based in Prague.

Another AfD politician who has been seen in Voice of Europe is Petr Bystron, spokesperson for foreign policy of the formation Bundestag. Bystron has referred to the revelations of these days about Voice of Europe as a “election campaign maneuver” designed to damage the AfD on the way to the European elections. In voting intention surveys, the far-right party is currently the second largest force in the country. It is attributed a fifth of the electorate, being surpassed only by the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the main opposition party in the Bundestag.

AfD stands out in Germany for being one of the most critical of Scholz's politics of support to Ukraine against the Russian invasion. This policy has made Germany the first country in Europe to provide the most aid to Ukraine.

According to the accounts of the Institute for the World Economy (IfW) of Kiel, an institution dedicated to recording and counting the announcements and deliveries of international aid to Ukraine, Germany has committed until January 15 a total of 17.7 billion euros in military aid. To that amount we must add 2.9 billion euros in humanitarian aid and another 1.4 billion in financial aid.

Only the United States is above Scholz's Germany. This circumstance is something that those responsible for the German Executive often point out to explain why Russia is particularly interested in interfering in the political debate in Germany. “The Federal Republic of Germany continues being a major target of Russian influence efforts“, point out from the German Ministry of the Interior.