Fake News, Fake Ukrainians: How Russians Tilted a Dutch Vote

by Dramelin 2:30 AM 0 comments

In December, he visited Brussels for the European Russian Forum, an annual gathering of Moscow-friendly politicians and experts supported by the Russian Foreign Ministry. Ukraine did send officials and activists to the Netherlands to lobby support for a ?yes? vote, presenting Ukraine as a victim of Russian aggression. But Europe?s political establishment, already rattled by Britain?s vote to leave the European Union and the election of President Trump in the United States, is worried that the Netherlands referendum could foreshadow what is to come. Britain?s defense minister has accused Moscow of ?weaponizing disinformation.? German, French and Italian officials have also accused Russia-linked partisans of meddling. Volkskrant, a Dutch newspaper, reported last week that the same two Russian hacking groups that pilfered emails from the Democratic National Committee were among those targeting the Netherlands.