Russia gave European far-right politicians large amounts of cash through a propaganda operation intended to sow division on the continent, according to a report. Citing European intelligence officials, The Washington Post reports that a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin set up a pro-Kremlin propaganda site, Voice of Europe, in the Czech Republic in May 2023. The organization was used to funnel up to one million euros a month—a little under $1.1 million—to “dozens” of far-right politicians in Europe to plant pro-Russian propaganda in the Western media, according to the Post. Michal Koudelka, the head of the Czech domestic security service, also claimed Voice of Europe—which was shut down by Czech and European Union authorities—was also an attempt to increase the number of far-right politicians in the European Parliament who would then “conduct classic espionage” on behalf of Moscow. “It was an operation that aimed to shape Europe,” Koudelka told the Post.
