Russian Legislators Decry Foreign Meddling Promise Countermeasures– Russia's Deputy FM Ryabkov: American Influence Will Be Ramped-Up During Russia's Presidential Elections

On June 7, 2017, the Russian Federation Council discussed "thwarting interference in the internal affairs of the Russian Federation." According to the Russian newspaper Kommersant, the Council is planning to create a commission that will monitor "any hostile activity by foreign states and international organizations."[1]

The independent media outlet Meduza.io noticed that the hearing was scheduled on the same day that U.S. intelligence officials testified before the U.S. Senate, in advance of the hotly anticipated hearing with former FBI Director James Comey. Meduza.io wrote: "Hours before American senators grilled these men about foreign meddling in the last presidential election, Russian senators held their own hearings on the same matter in Moscow, where the Federation Council discussed efforts to prevent foreign interference in Russian domestic affairs. Speakers discussed meddling by nongovernmental organizations and debated what to do about journalists who carry out the West’s 'ideological-political intervention.'"[2]

The draft recommendations proposed following the Federation Council's hearings were preceded by the following assessment: "We have observed the active implementation of foreign education programs targeting Russian journalists, as well as professional interactions and the exchange of experience between representatives of the American and European mass media and Russian journalists and the editors of opposition online publications."[3]

Below are some of the remarks made by Russian Senators during the hearing and their reactions to what they perceive to be foreign meddling in Russia's affairs:

 

(Source: Sharzhipero.ru)

Attorney General Chaika: NGOs Recognized As Foreign Agents Were n Out Of Control, Influencing The Actions Of Russian State Agencies

During the hearing, Russia's Attorney General Yuri Chaika stated: "Nonprofit organizations recognized as foreign agents were out of control and non-transparent, influencing the actions of Russian state agencies in the interests of their own foreign sponsors. In a number of cases, contrary to the norms of international law, much of this funding came directly from the government and the diplomatic missions of the United States, Great Britain, and structures within the European Union. [...] These organizations do not want to be called foreign agents, to provide the relevant financial records, or to disclose information about their activities. Simply put, they seek to return to a time when they could quietly take foreigners’ money to destroy the foundations of our state institutions, all while reporting to no one but their sponsors. But this time is gone forever."[4]

Senator Klimov Defines The 'Ideological-Political Intervention'

Senator Andrey Klimov said during the hearing: "Huge resources have already been invested, beginning in the 1990s. It’s enough just to look at the budget of any radio outlet. And you’ll easily find the same thing in the print media: thousands of people working tirelessly and around the clock on what should actually be called 'ideological-political intervention.' These aren’t military methods, but it’s happening, nonetheless. And like in any war, defectors are being used actively here. This is also a separate issue, because formally they’re still like Russian citizens, but when they left, or rather when they fled from our country, it certainly wasn’t to strengthen us as a nation. And it seems to me that these citizens shouldn’t escape responsibility, either, including when it comes to activities tied to the subversion of our national sovereignty."[5]

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov also added: "Despite measures to strengthen control over the actions [of nonprofits and NGOs], infiltration and American influence are not waning, and we expect a further ramp-up, with this work rising in intensity and sophistication in the coming period, related mostly to [Russia’s] approaching elections and political campaigning."[6]

Head Of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service: The U.S. Wants To Restrict Russia's Access To Modern Technologies

During the hearing, Sergey Naryshkin, head of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, said: "The United States convinces its partners that it’s prudent to reduce the volume of their purchases of Russian oil and coal, to further restrict Russia’s access to modern technologies and equipment for hydrocarbon production, and to block Russian energy projects abroad. [...] The U.S. is making a desperate attempt to disrupt or at least to slow down the construction of the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline. The U.S. and Poland have been particularly zealous here, really buckling down. And the Baltic states have been squealing pretty loudly, too."[7]

Senator Kosachev: The Commission Won't Be Involved In A 'Witch Hunt'

Commenting on the creation of a Federation Council commission on preventing foreign interference in Russia's affairs, Senator Konstantin Kosachev, Chairman of the Russian Federation Council Committee for Foreign Affairs, said: "We need a permanent body to monitor activities aimed against Russia... We have been facing consistent attempts to meddle in our interior affairs." Kosachev then stressed that the commission won't be involved in "a witch hunt."

(Tass.com, June 6, 2017)

Sanctions As A Tool To Interfere In Russia's Elections

In an interview to the Financial Times, Igor Sechin, the CEO of Rosneft state corporation, and one of the most influential people in Putin's inner circle said regarding sanctions: "To be honest, I don't like to talk about sanctions. I believe they are totally unjustified and even illegal. One cannot transfer political responsibility on to the corporate level. We are not part of the international politics. We do not form policy... The aim [of the sanctions] was to influence, to affect the socio-economic situation. To make it worse and to affect the [Russian] elections. That's my deep conviction."[8]

During a parliamentary hearing on prevention of foreign interference in Russia’s internal affairs, the director of Russia’s foreign intelligence service Sergey Naryshkin said: "On the list of priorities of U.S. government structures there is in fact an economic war against Russia. According to the available information Washington intends to step up the pressure of sanctions on our country and it is looking for new pretexts to do that."[9]