BRUSSELS (AP) — Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo announced on Friday an investigation into Russia’s alleged interference in June’s European elections, saying his country’s intelligence service had confirmed the existence of a network trying to undermine support for Ukraine.
“Belgian intelligence services have confirmed the existence of pro-Russian interference networks with activities in several European countries and also here in Belgium,” said De Croo, whose country currently holds the rotating presidency of the European Union.
De Croo said Belgian authorities were working closely with Czech authorities after pro-Russian influence operations were uncovered there. He said the investigation found that members of the European Parliament had been approached and offered money to promote Russian propaganda.
“According to our intelligence service, Moscow’s goals are very clear. The aim is to help elect more pro-Russian candidates to the European Parliament and strengthen a certain pro-Russian narrative in this institution,” he told reporters.
Elections to elect a new EU Parliament will take place across Europe from June 6th to 9th.
De Croo said: “The aim is very clear: weakened European support for Ukraine serves Russia on the battlefield, and that is the real aim of what has been revealed in recent weeks.”
EU states have pumped billions of euros and significant amounts of weapons and ammunition into Ukraine. Since the full-scale invasion in February 2022, they have also imposed sanctions on senior Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, banks, companies and the energy sector.
However, as the war dragged on and Russian troops appeared to have only a narrow advantage, maintaining this support became increasingly difficult. Hungary, Putin’s closest European supporter, has delayed the delivery of funds to Ukraine and is calling for peace talks to be held.
Referring to the Belgian prosecutor’s investigation, De Croo noted that “the cash payments did not take place in Belgium, but the intervention did.”
“These are serious concerns and that is why I have taken action,” he said. “We cannot allow such a Russian threat in our midst. We have to act, and we have to act both at national level and at EU level.”
He did not provide any information about who might be suspected. Belgian authorities uncovered an influence operation in the European Parliament in December 2022 involving Qatari officials. The government of Qatar has rejected the allegations.