Russia spent 300 million dollars to influence elections in dozens of countries, the USA says
Russia has secretly spent more than $300 million since 2014 on efforts to influence politicians and other officials in more than two dozen countries, the US State Department claimed on September 13.
The money was spent on supporting think tanks that support far-right nationalist political parties and on things like organizations used to funnel money to desired causes or politicians.
US intelligence believes the $300 million is a "minimum" estimate, and that Russia likely transferred additional funds in cases that remained undetected, the official who briefed reporters said.
"We think this is just the tip of the iceberg and we are working with allies and partners to gather more information about this threat," the official said.
American diplomats have shared their findings with governments in more than 100 countries.
The information followed a review by the US intelligence community into Russia's efforts to influence the politics of other countries, the official said.
The State Department is releasing some information from the review publicly because of expectations that Russia will "increasingly rely on its covert tools of influence" in the coming months, they said.
The report did not name specific Russian targets, but said Moscow is likely to turn increasingly to covert political financing to undermine international sanctions over its war in Ukraine.
The official noted that President Joe Biden recently expanded a national emergency declaration that addresses the continuing threat of foreign interference in elections.
The Russian Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to RFE's request for comment.
The official, who informed the journalists on condition of anonymity, did not provide concrete evidence of the alleged secret financing. American officials previously pointed to Bosnia and Herzegovina and Ecuador as countries where Russia directly intervened through its financial power.
Russian state-owned companies directly channeled secret financing to Central America, Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, the assessment states. Russia used cash, made payments in cryptocurrencies and sent "lavish" gifts, the assessment said.
The Biden administration requested the assessment after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which triggered international sanctions in an effort to isolate Moscow.
The official also declined to say how much money Russia is believed to have spent in Ukraine, where President Volodymyr Zelensky and his top deputies have long accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of meddling in domestic politics.
The official rejected comparisons between Russia's activities and American funding of media and political initiatives.
The official said the difference was that Putin spent huge sums "in an attempt to manipulate democracies from within".
With reports from Reuters, AFP and AP