Germany forms task force to counter Russian election meddling
The German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) has formed a task force to counter any attempts by foreign states to interfere in the upcoming federal elections.
This follows an October warning about Russia-backed espionage and sabotage activities, Reuters reports.
The BfV stated that disinformation campaigns, cyberattacks, espionage, or sabotage might occur in the lead-up to the snap elections scheduled for February 23. "Against the backdrop of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, Russia probably has the greatest and clearest interest in swaying the elections in its favor," the BfV said in a statement. Such actors could aim to actively support certain candidates or parties, discredit others, or undermine the democratic process itself, the agency added, according to Reuters, as cited by Agerpres.
Germany is the second-largest financial and military backer of Ukraine, a nation invaded by Russian forces almost three years ago. This situation has led to "increasingly aggressive behavior" from the Kremlin toward Germany and other allies of Ukraine, the BfV warned in October.
Another threat stems from cyberattacks and the use of artificial intelligence to create deceptive video messages designed to mislead voters, the German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution explained.
In April, a leader of the "Alternative for Germany" party was accused of accepting funds from a pro-Russian news platform.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
