Russian President Vladimir Putin does not hide the enthusiasm in connection with the visit of his Italian counterpart Sergio Mattarella in Moscow. After most of the countries put on Russia the responsibility for the chemical attack on Syrian civilians, a friendly meeting with European leaders is important for Putin as proof that the country is not isolated. On the contrary. The Kremlin wants to regain his former position in Europe and to stand at the head of the antiterrorist coalition.
Orientation does not matter
In Europe many political groups sympathetic to Moscow, for various reasons. And Russia wants to often marginalized actors have become a serious political force, for example, won the election.
Once the Soviet Union took care of only those whose ideology suited him. Today in foreign policy, Russia is a state absolutely devoid of ideology and ideological principles. The Kremlin gives a helping hand to anyone, regardless of its political or other orientation, who are useful to achieve Russian strategic objectives. Thus, Moscow returns to Soviet foreign policy before the Second world war, when in the name of territorial acquisitions of the Kremlin was ready to go to contract, even with ideologically hostile to Nazi Germany. Today, the choice of “friends” Moscow is primarily governed by pragmatism and profit.
Presidents and Prime Ministers
In recent months, as it seems, Moscow is increasingly focused on the solid and the parliamentary parties. Although Europe is still scattered in many different institutions, nationalist groups and small populist parties that Moscow is likely to support, Putin is primarily interested in “equal partners,” such as presidents, Prime Ministers and leaders of government parties.
Therefore, meetings such as the secret negotiations of the right-wing in Vienna in June 2014, where the first violin playing an Orthodox national Bolshevik and one of the ideologists of the Kremlin is Alexander Dugin, Putin’s advisors do not consider effective. A similar seminar after a few months passed and in Berlin. It was organized by the former head of Russian Railways and a friend of the Czech President Milos Zeman Vladimir Yakunin. In such negotiations are always representatives of the Bulgarian far-right party “Attack” and Hungarian “Jobbik”, Greek “Golden dawn” and the “Austrian freedom party”. In the Czech Republic promotes the interests of Moscow Institute of Slavonic strategic studies (ISSTRAS), which regularly arranges seminars in the Czech Parliament. For example, the mouth of the MP Tomio Okamura, Chairman of the party “Freedom and direct democracy”, Institute for openly spreading the Kremlin’s propaganda in its purest form. In the Czech Republic many Pro-Russian groups financed by unknown sources, however, Moscow is increasingly interested in high-ranking government officials, not political dwarfs. The Kremlin wants to invest with a guarantee.
Most of the fear of Russian influence on the eve of elections the French. After all, one of the strongest supports of Russian in Europe is the front national of marine Le Pen.
Despite the fact that on Saturday due to the Syrian crisis, British foreign Minister, Boris Johnson has cancelled his visit to Moscow, scheduled for Monday, many members of the conservative Party United Kingdom independence continue to seek a rapprochement with Russia.
Reports British newspaper The Times, they, together with the French “National front” prevented the investigation of European political parties suspected of receiving funds from Moscow. Lithuanian member of the European Parliament Gabrielus Landsbergis even fears the creation of a new European international under the leadership of Russia.
However, it would make a motley bunch of left-wing and right-wing. After all, Russia is sympathetic, and the German movement “Pegida”, and “Alternative for Germany”, and the far-right NPD.
The Russians themselves consider to be their ally of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and the Greek left party SYRIZA and the far-right “Golden dawn”.
Friends of the Kremlin in Russia is considered and the Czech President Zeman and Slovak Prime Minister Robert fico, and the newly elected Bulgarian President rumen Radeva. But his predecessor is Rosen Plevneliev was one of the few European politicians who are directly accused Russia: “In Bulgaria there are political parties financed by Turkey and others, financed by Russia”. Supposedly Plevneliev was evidence that the Bulgarian politicians were paid from Moscow. In the end, even the victory Radeva allegedly largely due to the efforts of Russia. According to the U.S. edition of the Wall Street Journal, the Bulgarian socialists received from the Russian “secret strategic document” 30 pages with a direct recommendation.
