Breaking: Hungarian politicians paid by Moscow to spread Putin propaganda?
Hungarian politicians may have been part of a Moscow-funded propaganda network uncovered by the Czech secret service, Spiegel reports. Half a dozen European intelligence services were involved in uncovering the propaganda network, with money going to German, Belgian, French, Dutch and Polish politicians as well as the Hungarian.
Extensive propaganda network
Petr Fiala in 2022. Source: depositphotos.com
Hungarian politicians may have been part of a Moscow-funded propaganda network uncovered by the Czech secret service, hvg.hu reported on Wednesday, citing Spiegel.
The group spread narratives through the Prague-based Voice of Europe news portal aimed at discouraging the European Union from helping Ukraine in its fight against the Russian army,
Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said on Wednesday.
According to Fiala, the BIS, the Czech security information service, found that the pro-Russian network had been carrying out activities that “have serious consequences for the security of the Czech Republic and the EU”. The group had been agitating in the EU against “the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine” and its activities had reached the European Parliament.
Voice of Europe no longer available
The Czech daily Deník N reported that the Voice of Europe news website had published statements by politicians calling on the EU to stop aid to Ukraine.
The operator of the website “voiceofeurope.com” is registered in Prague and is active on social networks such as Facebook and X (formerly Twitter), where it has more than 180,000 followers. Voice of Europe was no longer available on Wednesday evening.
Money received from Moscow for propaganda used to fund election campaigns
Some European politicians who have worked with the news site have been paid by Russia, and in some cases, the money has been used to fund their election campaigns for the European Parliament elections in June.
Viktor Medvedchuk Source: Wikimedia Commons/duma.gov.ru
German, Belgian, French, Hungarian, Dutch and Polish politicians received the money, Deník N reported, citing Czech Foreign Ministry sources. The Alternative for Germany (AfD) was also involved. The Czech Republic has added Voice of Europe and its alleged supporters to its sanctions list.
According to Spiegel, half a dozen European intelligence services were involved in exposing the network. Voice of Europe is allegedly backed by a Ukrainian-born pro-Russian oligarch and close friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Viktor Medvedchuk. According to the Spiegel article, Medvedchuk used Voice of Europe to provide secret financial support to candidates in the European Parliament elections.
According to Reuters, Medvedchuk, who was also a member of parliament in Kyiv, was exchanged for Ukrainian prisoners of war with Russia in 2022, when he was stripped of his Ukrainian citizenship.
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6 Comments
If Hungarian intelligence services had been involved, I think it is a safe bet that our Politicians would have tried to veto the investigation!
No surprise. The majority of Hungarians have been brainwashed by Russian propaganda pushed by Fidesz for years. Why do you think Orban and Szijjarto meet with evil tyrant Putin and his right hand Lavrov on a regular basis? They work together. Hungary is under considerable Russian control.
It is now coming out that the 2023 Russian release of 11 allegedly ethnic Hungarian POWs to Hungary was a Putin-Orban propaganda ploy. Only one of the 11 was actually an ethnic Hungarian but they used this deception to play on the Hungarian community and drive a wedge between Hungary and Ukraine.
https://www.dw.com/en/hungary-russia-pow-deal-i-was-told-to-say-i-was-hungarian/a-68687807
Interesting!
Majority of the US want stop funding the Ukraine war and many want out of NATO and let them fund it. Yet the majority don’t pay the 2% of NATO fees. You poor fools that think cutting off comunication to Putin is the answer. The US is funding the killing. Orban and trump are best chance to end it.
@TM – NATO is not a “club” and there is no thing as dues and fees … Everyone is waking up to Mr. Putin´s Russia´s threat, spend is up across the board … Better late than never.
I assume if Hungary would be in the cross hairs and not a NATO Member, you would be the one running out with the white flag? Saving lives? Democracy be damned, rather be slaves than fight. Back to the good old days!
Could potentially see Mr. Putin take a stab at probing how committed NATO is to Article 5 – in particular if Mr. Trump returns and does as he promises (e.g. isolationist, potentially pulling the US out of NATO).
Be careful what you wish for.