Is the AfD profiting from Russia? This is not the first time that US authorities have accused Moscow of interfering in international elections. According to the FBI, Germany is also affected.
The US government accuses Moscow of using a disinformation campaign to deliberately spread Russian government propaganda in Germany. The aim since at least 2022 has been to support the AfD, undermine support for Ukraine, which has been attacked by Russia, and denigrate the US and NATO. This is according to a report by the US Federal Police FBI.
Washington has long accused Russia of interfering in the US presidential election. On Wednesday, Washington responded with a large package of sanctions and published court documents that are supposed to show Moscow’s interference in the current presidential election campaign. They show that Russia is also targeting Germany.
FBI: Russian disinformation also wants to help AfD
The 277-page report by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) quotes notes and memos from relevant meetings of Russian participants in the disinformation campaign. The aim was to “influence the USA, Great Britain and NATO [zu] discredit” and to convey “the truth about the war in Ukraine,” it is said to have been said in the meetings. At one meeting it was decided to concentrate efforts particularly on Germany.
One of the documents, which the FBI investigators attribute to the Russian company Social Design Agency, states that the aim is to “exacerbate internal tensions in countries allied with the United States” in order to promote Russia’s interests on the international stage. The AfD is being supported “by all means” by creating the “image of martyrs” who “suffer for democracy and Germany’s national interests”. This is to be achieved, for example, by distributing fake videos or websites. The news portal “t-online” reported on this.
The FBI investigation is focusing primarily on the Russian “doppelgänger” campaign. Its tactics include imitating websites of existing quality media and public institutions. According to the US government, attempts to exert influence in Moscow are initiated from the very top – “under the direction and control of the Russian presidential administration.”
Websites are said to spread false information
The FBI investigation states that the propaganda was developed with the aim, among other things, of undermining international support for Ukraine and strengthening pro-Russian policies and interests. It was also intended to influence voters in the US and abroad with a view to the presidential election in November, “without identifying the Russian government or its agents as the source of the content” or concealing it.
For example, the notes cited in the FBI report state that websites would be set up that would use real facts to supplement them with false information. One suggestion was to spread “a fake story about an American soldier who raped a German woman.”
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
