Belgian intelligence claims that Russia has been paying members of the European Parliament to expand its network of influence.
Prosecutors in Belgium are investigating suspected Russian interference in the upcoming European Parliament elections with the aim of affecting Ukrainian politics, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said.
Belgian intelligence has confirmed the existence of pro-Russian influence networks in several European countries, including Belgium, he said on Friday.
As part of an influence operation in the Czech Republic, with whose officials De Croo said Belgium is working closely, Russia allegedly approached members of the European Parliament and offered them money to promote pro-Russian sentiment.
“According to our intelligence service, Moscow’s objectives are very clear. The aim is to help elect more pro-Russian candidates to the European Parliament and reinforce a certain pro-Russian narrative in that institution,” De Croo told journalists.
He did not say which individuals or entities might be under suspicion. No cash payments took place in Belgium itself, although there was pro-Russian interference, he added.
The prime minister said that “the objective is very clear: weakened European support for Ukraine serves Russia on the battlefield and that is the true objective of what has been discovered in recent weeks.”
The allegations will be discussed next week at a summit of European Union leaders.
European elections are scheduled for June 6th and 9th to elect a new parliament.
The EU has been increasing its financial and military support for Ukraine more than two years after Russia’s invasion.
The bloc gave the green light to a 50 billion euro ($54 billion) plan to support Ukraine over the next four years in early February.
Russia has intensified its attacks this year, especially against Ukrainian energy infrastructure. Russian ground forces have made advances and fierce battles are ongoing in several areas, including Avdiivka and Bakhmut.
The Belgian prime minister said on Friday that Russian efforts to expand its influence in EU members raise “serious concerns” that require action.
“We cannot allow this type of Russian threat among us. We need to act, and we need to act both at national level and at EU level.”
De Croo said he had called for an urgent meeting of the bloc’s Agency for Criminal and Judicial Cooperation (EuroJust) and suggested that anti-fraud office OLAF should prosecute the case.
“We have a responsibility and our responsibility is to defend that the right of all citizens to vote freely and safely can be maintained.”
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