Russia is said to have funded pro-Russian forces abroad with at least $300 million.
In Italy, a report of at least $300 million in large-scale influence on Russia around the world is shaking up the election campaign at its hottest. Although Italy is not explicitly mentioned, this is fueling rumors of close ties between the Kremlin and right-wing parties, which polls say could come to power after the September 25 election. Not only the Forza Italia of the notorious Putin friend Silvio Berlusconi comes under suspicion, but above all the right-wing populist Lega, which in the past has never made a secret of its admiration for Vladimir Putin: The selfie of Lega boss Matteo Salvini in the Putin Fan shirts on Red Square have become a worldwide symbol of this friendship.
In the middle of the Ukraine war, the Lega also renewed an agreement with the Kremlin party United Russia. Meetings between Salvini’s adviser and the Russian ambassador in Rome caused further mistrust. But above all, reports of alleged planned financing from Moscow have been appearing again and again for years. “Fake news,” Salvini rumbled. But Giorgia Meloni, his ally and currently leading the polls with the Fratelli d’Italia, kept his distance and called for “quick clarification”. She asserted that her party had never received funds from abroad.