As of: April 4, 2024, 1:23 p.m
By: Christian Stör
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Did the AfD MP Bystron accept money in contact with a pro-Russian network? He says he has nothing to blame himself for. © Christoph Soeder/dpa
A pro-Russian platform fuels concerns about Kremlin propaganda in Europe. AfD politician Bystron is also involved. Baerbock warns against hybrid warfare.
Brussels – Annalena Baerbock has taken a clear position in the Petr Bystron case. The Foreign Minister sees the affair surrounding alleged cash payments from Russia to the AfD member of the Bundestag and European election candidate in connection with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin's hybrid warfare. She said this on the sidelines of a NATO foreign ministers meeting in Brussels.
Baerbock emphasized that this approach was aimed at hollowing out and undermining democracies in Europe from within. The Foreign Minister warned of divisions in society, disinformation and fake news that were part of these attacks. She also pointed out that Germany has been the target of such attacks in the past, including disinformation and cyberattacks. It is important to be even more vigilant and protect yourself against this hybrid warfare at different levels.
Network from Russia wanted to influence the European elections
The Czech newspaper
Denik N
had reported that Bystron was suspected of
having been in contact with the pro-Russian Internet platform
Voice of Europe
, which the Prague cabinet had recently placed on the national sanctions list. He may also have accepted money. Bystron's name was said to have been mentioned at the cabinet meeting, the newspaper reported, citing several ministers. An unnamed government member said with reference to Bystron, citing the domestic secret service BIS: “You can provide audio evidence of the handover of money.”
The pro-Russian network apparently aimed to influence the outcome of the European elections. Investigations by Belgian and Czech secret services suggest that several EU parliamentarians accepted money from Russia and in return spread anti-European and anti-Ukrainian propaganda.
Among other things, the portal also published an interview with Bystron, who is considered particularly Russia-friendly. He has also spoken out against Russia sanctions after the Ukraine war unleashed by Putin and rejects the supply of weapons to Ukraine. In addition, during a Bundestag debate, he equated German tank deliveries with the National Socialists' war of annihilation against the Soviet Union.
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AfD politician Bystron rejects allegations
Petr Bystron described the accusations and allegations to the
German Press Agency
as unproven and emphasized that he had nothing to blame himself for. He told
the newspapers of the
Funke media group
: “I did not accept any money to represent pro-Russian positions.” The AfD has recently increased the pressure on Byston to comment on the allegations.
The AfD's leading candidate in the European elections, Maximilian Krah, has meanwhile asked Bystron
not
to make any election campaign appearances until the allegations have been clarified. When asked, Krah himself said that he had advised Bystron to “concentrate on education and to avoid public appearances.”
(dpa/cs)
Editor Christian Stör wrote this article and then used an AI language model for optimization at his own discretion. All information has been carefully checked.
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