James Apppathurei, the deputy secretary general of NATO for hybrid and cyber war, described Russia’s operation in the presidential elections held in November, in Romania, as a “scam”.
James APPATHURE – NATO Deputy Secretary General for Hybrid and Cyber War Photo: NATO
“Russia’s secret manipulation of elections in the European Union has been more treacherous than any open support for the pro -forefathers“, James Apppathurei said in an interview with Euobserver on Tuesday at the NATO headquarters in Brussels.
The NATO official spoke about how Russia operated on the November elections: “What I have seen in Romania are accounts on social networks left in a long hibernation, created there, activated, not attributed, but used to influence the result”.
APPATHUREI also referred to “money paid to micro-influencers“, People who have 2,000 or 10,000 followers, so that while they tell about how to make makeup or anything else to introduce a word in support of the pro -candidate.
“So this is a deception. This is a wide -prepared campaign beforehand to clandestine an election“He said.
Euobserver mentions that the elections in Romania have been canceled by the Constitutional Court and that they will be repeated on May 4, but in the polls lead the candidate supported by Russia, Călin Georgescu.
Musk’s involvement in Europe’s elections
James Apppathure referred in its interview and general elections in Germany, which will take place on February 23, at which the far -right AFD party is listed in second place, against the background of the tensions aggravated not only by the Russian interference in the EU policy. , but also by the military threat of Russia.
The publication mentions about the involvement and support of Elon Musk for the German AFD party, which caused the Chancellor Olaf Scholz to take an attitude, and to investigate Musk “the far-right algorithms”, even with the risk of spoil the relationships with Trump.
“What is new is that he (Musk – no) intervenes in favor of right politicians from all over Europe. And this is truly disgusting and not good for the democratic development of the whole of the EU“Scholz told January 28 at a press conference in Berlin.
But, despite this alarmist atmosphere in some capitals of the European Union, Apppathure states that “This (Russian interference in elections – no) is a very different thing“Such as involvement observed in Musk. “So I don’t think we should gather apples with pears“, Added Aprpathure.
“Anyone who is free to believe what he wants about Elon Musk. I believe something. You believe something. Not here is the problem. I believe that this (Russia’s operation in Romania – na) is a very different thing and one that could happen to any of our countries and that is why we all examine the teachings that come from as a result”, Said NATO official.
Elon Musk, a close collaborator of President Donald Trump, indirectly supported Georgescu (Musk referred only to the cancellation of the elections itself – no).
For example, Musk posted on X a message that the judge who canceled the Romanian elections is a “dictator”.
The threats brought by Russia through the “espionage operations”
On the other hand, Russia is an even more serious danger through the “harmful espionage” operations in Europe, such as sabotages, besides interference in elections, says Apppathure.
The “hybrid” or “destabilization” campaign carried out on several planes of Russia also threatens the Western infrastructure of communications and energy from the Baltic Sea and the east of the Mediterranean, said APPATHURE.
Western states expelled thousands of Russian diplomats accused of espionage after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. “What we have found, honestly, was the diminution for a short time to carry out harmful spy operations in our countries, But this was restored, ”says Apppathure.
