How does the Kremlin maintain its influence in the West?

02.07.2019

In mid June, the Free Russia foundation, which operates in the USA, published a collection of „Misused Rights – How the Kremlin uses Western institutions to undermine the West“

The collection of analyzes is an interesting reading on how and by what means, techniques and individuals are used by Russia to promote its influence in the world. The material is particularly topical at a time when Russia has regained its influence in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

The 15 short analyzes are divided into two blocks: “The Kremlin’s Attack on the Western Legal Order” and “Active Actions: Russia’s Manipulation of Western Policies”.

The first part, for example, analyzes the Magnitsky case, investigates the Russian mafia network in Spain as well as the Jukos example which undermined the Western legal system and traditions.

The second block contains among other things an analyze of the Scriptal case, the Wagner group, the Bulgarian power group contacts with Russia, the influence of the Dutch elections, the fifth columns and much more.

An analysis entitled „Fifth Columns and interest protection Organizations“ describes in detail the activities in the Baltics of an organization familiar to Propastop readers, GONGO (government-organized non-governmental organization). Common features on the principles of operation and funding models on the three Baltic countries are outlined. In addition, the historical background to the emergence of such organizations and the development of the strategy in the Kremlin are looked at, including a chart showing GONGO funded monies along with their „areas of activity“.

The authors of the analyzes also include a number of well-known analysts in Estonia, such as Jakub Janda, Michael Weiss and Anton Šehhovtsov.

The Free Russia Fund is a USA based non-profit organization whose goal is to bring together the community of those who have left Russia and to give to those that could not express their thoughts in their homeland under today’s government. The fund recently organized a conference in the Hague, the Netherlands with a presentation by Marko Mihkelson.

Photo: Extract from a collection of analyzes