Putin funding far-right political parties

[Ultimate Paragon]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/putins-farright-ambition-thinktank-reveals-how-russian-president-is-wooing--and-funding--populist-parties-across-europe-to-gain-influence-in-the-eu-9883052.html

President Vladimir Putin is widely suspected of being behind an extraordinary Russian cash and charm offensive that is reported to be trying to woo Europe’s far-right populist parties in order to strengthen the Kremlin’s political influence within the European Union.

In recent weeks, the Kremlin’s targets have included France’s xenophobic Front National (FN) party, and politicians from three German parties including the neo-Nazi National Democratic Party (NPD), the Eurosceptic Alternative for Germany (AfD) and the Social Democrats (SPD).

Marine Le Pen’s Front National was recently granted a €9m (£7m) loan by a small financial institution called the First Czech-Russian Bank. The cash will be used to fund the party’s campaign for next year’s regional elections.

French banks were unwilling to fund the FN. “We cast our the net wide: in Spain, in Italy, in Asia and in Russia,” Ms Le Pen told Le Monde. “We have signed with the first catch and we are very happy.” In the past, Ms Le Pen has made no secret of her support for Mr Putin.

The FN’s bank loan was followed this week by the release of details from a leaked Moscow strategy paper that suggests Mr Putin has been advised to try to influence European politics by such wooing.

As if there weren't already enough reasons to hate this guy.

[Dakota Bob]

Was Putin hugged enough as a child?

[TheContrarian]

And this is different from the Kremlin funding communist cells across europe during the cold war how, exactly?

It makes sense, in a demented sort of way.

[Askold]

Kremlin is still funding the left as well. And that brings up the difference from how it was during the Cold war.

Back then it was an ideological war, the west funded any anti-communist regime and organisation they could find, even if the regime was a despot who was killing people left and right and USSR did the same to all communist regimes and organizations, with just as disregard to what kind of regimes and groups those were. Now Russia is funding groups that cause dissent amongst their rivals. They are not attached to Le Pen or his party, they just saw some rabble rousers and know that funding them will weaken France and perhaps even EU if the populists actually gain control.

[Tolpuddle Martyr]

Kremlin is still funding the left as well. And that brings up the difference from how it was during the Cold war.

Back then it was an ideological war, the west funded any anti-communist regime and organisation they could find, even if the regime was a despot who was killing people left and right and USSR did the same to all communist regimes and organizations, with just as disregard to what kind of regimes and groups those were. Now Russia is funding groups that cause dissent amongst their rivals. They are not attached to Le Pen or his party, they just saw some rabble rousers and know that funding them will weaken France and perhaps even EU if the populists actually gain control.

Not quite. Realpolitik was still the order of the day.

One of Washington's more inglorious moments in the 1980's and '90s was looking the other way when aid meant for the anti-Vietnamese nationalist opposition in Cambodia found it's way into the hands of the also anti Vietnamese Khmer Rouge.

Washington had reached detente with China and they both wanted to curb the expansion of the USSR-which was allied to Vietnam, so if a bit of aid went the way of the hyper Maoist Khmer Rouge then...whoopsies.