Latest news with #Correctiv
The Guardian
01-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Trump campaign chief tells undercover reporters he advised Liberal party ahead of election
Footage of the undercover conversations between veteran Republican strategist Chris LaCivita and undercover reporters shows LaCivita claiming he visited Australia to advise the Liberal party ahead of the election. LaCivita says he made an unpublicised visit to Australia to advise the Liberal party about 'structural issues' related to Peter Dutton. 'I was in Australia two weeks ago helping the Liberal party there, on some of their structural issues that they were having with Peter Dutton,' LaCivita says on 16 April in the first of two calls. The footage was published on Thursday by the Europe-based organisations Correctiv and the Centre for Climate Reporting. A Coalition spokesman has denied LaCivita had any connection to the Dutton campaign. In a statement, LaCivita told Guardian Australia: 'I did not and do not work for the Liberal Party of Australia. I provide consulting to a wide variety of business interests – some in Australia some in the US etc in terms of a political party – I have not. Also, I have never met Mr Dutton, but I hope to when he is elected prime minister'
Russia Today
14-03-2025
- Business
- Russia Today
US eyes Arctic cooperation with Gazprom
Moscow and Washington are currently in talks over the possibility of future cooperation with Gazprom on international projects, including in the Arctic region, Bloomberg reported on Thursday, citing Russian and European officials. The news comes as the US seeks to normalize relations with Russia and gain access to the economically important region. The Arctic has drawn increasing global attention due to its vast untapped energy and mineral resources, as well as its strategic trade routes. Russia has been developing its Northern Sea Route, the shortest shipping route between Western Eurasia and the Asia-Pacific, running through its Arctic and Far East regions. The route has been extensively modernized over the past years, with investment from India and China, which hold stakes in several Arctic energy projects. One of the sources told Bloomberg that Russian state-run energy giant Gazprom could offer the US involvement in ventures in the Arctic region and some offshore projects such as the Sakhalin liquefied natural gas project if sanctions restricting foreign investment are overturned. Unnamed sources familiar with the matter told the news agency that talks between US and Russian representatives on potential collaboration with Gazprom are at the stage of 'preliminary contacts.' It is reportedly unclear who is leading the reported discussions or whether officials from the administration of US President Donald Trump are directly involved. US-Gazprom cooperation could involve joint projects in Europe and Asia, several sources said, adding that it could be part of Washington's broader push to weaken Russia's ties to China and Iran. Bloomberg noted that the step could also promote business opportunities following a peace deal to end the Ukraine conflict, which Trump sees as a top priority. Earlier this week, German news outlet Correctiv reported, citing its own investigation, that Russia and the US were negotiating a major deal that would allow the resumption of Russian energy exports. The months-long discussions could reportedly involve US companies buying parts of the Nord Stream pipeline infrastructure and stakes in three German refineries owned by a subsidiary of Russian energy giant Rosneft. Neither the Kremlin nor the White House has officially commented on the reports. President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia could resume gas exports to Europe through the undersea pipeline once Moscow and Washington reach an agreement on energy cooperation. The Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, built to deliver Russian gas to Germany and the rest of Western Europe, were destroyed by blasts at the bottom of the Baltic Sea in September 2022.
Russia Today
13-03-2025
- Business
- Russia Today
US & Russia in talks about Nord Stream deal
Washington and Moscow are in talks on a major deal that would allow for the resumption of Russian energy exports, German outlet Correctiv reported on Thursday, citing its own investigation. A potential agreement could involve American companies purchasing some parts of the Nord Stream pipeline infrastructure, as well as stakes in three German refineries currently owned by a subsidiary of the Russian energy giant Rosneft, the report said. The discussions have supposedly been ongoing 'for months' and are said to include conditions for the resumption of Russian oil and gas exports to the EU. The Nord Stream undersea gas pipelines, consisting of two sets of two, were key conduits for Russian gas exports to Europe before 2022. The first was capable of delivering up to 55 billion cubic meters of gas a year. The second pipeline, dubbed Nord Stream 2 had a similar capacity but was never put into service, as Germany refused to certify it shortly before the start of the Russian operation against Ukraine in February 2022. Three of the four Nord Stream pipelines were rendered inoperable in September 2022 in an act of sabotage. No perpetrators have been officially named, although parts of the Western media repeatedly pointed to Ukraine. Operator Nord Stream 2 AG is allegedly involved in negotiations with potential investors, possibly from the US, Correctiv claimed. The company reportedly told a court in Switzerland in early 2025 that it was 'in intensive contact with the financial investors.' A January report by Reuters said that a Swiss court had delayed bankruptcy proceedings for Nord Stream AG until May 9. According to Correctiv, the decision was linked to the talks. A November piece by the Wall Street Journal also stated that a US businessman and investor, Stephen P. Lynch, was interested in purchasing the Nord Stream 2 infrastructure. Earlier in March, the German tabloid Bild also claimed that the US and Russia were in 'secret talks' about making Nord Stream 2 operational. According to Correctiv, discussions about an American purchase of a majority stake in the large Schwedt oil refinery in the German eastern state of Brandenburg are ongoing as well and they also involve the German chancellor's office and the federal economic ministry. Certain preliminary agreements could be reached as soon as the coming weeks, Correctiv reported. The outlet claimed that the deal could be part of a broader deal between Moscow and Washington about a ceasefire in the Ukraine conflict. Neither Moscow nor Washington have officially commented on the report. Russian President Vladimir Putin hinted at a potential deal with the US on Thursday. 'If the US and Russia reach an agreement on energy cooperation, a gas pipeline could be provided for Europe, which would benefit Europe as well since it would get cheap Russian gas,' he said.
Local Germany
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Local Germany
'Disinformation campaign': Kremlin propagandist sets sights on German election
John Dougan runs a network of more than 100 such fake sites, which mimic German media outlets, mirroring a disinformation tactic used during the American election last year, according to researchers at the German nonprofit Correctiv and the US watchdog NewsGuard. The sites by the former Florida deputy sheriff, who fled to Russia while facing a slew of charges including extortion, are flooding the internet with content favourable to the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. They also target mainstream parties such as Germany's Greens, whose support for Ukraine and NATO is in direct contradiction with Russian geopolitical interests. "Dougan's case demonstrates how the Kremlin is increasingly leveraging non-Russian nationals and Western fugitives to spread propaganda, obscuring their direct involvement and evading detection," NewsGuard analyst McKenzie Sadeghi told AFP. "Dougan's apparent efforts in Germany recycle the same tactics he used in disinformation efforts during the US election." One of the sites called "Echo der Zeit", (Echo of Time), falsely claimed that Green party candidate Robert Habeck sexually abused a woman. The claim, Sadeghi said, bore similarities to Dougan's campaign last year that falsely accused the former US vice-presidential contender Tim Walz of sexually assaulting a student. Economics Minister Robert Habeck in the debating chamber of the German Bundestag. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Bernd von Jutrczenka Another falsehood planted on a site in Dougan's network was that Germany plans to import 1.9 million Kenyan workers, a narrative that seeks to boost the AfD's anti-immigrant sentiment. The claim was also splashed across African news sites, an old trick Sadeghi said was used to obscure its Russian origin. 'Large network' Researchers spotlighted another false claim of a €100 million ($105 million) corruption scandal involving missing paintings at the Berlin art museum Gemaldegalerie, which sought to implicate German politicians such as Habeck and Claudia Roth. Dougan denies any involvement with any Russian entity, calling the assertions "made up". "I find the Russian government to be rather useless for anything, a bunch of idiot bureaucrats who never get anything done. So, I don't know why everyone thinks I work for them," he told NewsGuard in a text message last month. Dougan, who once served in the US Marines, has long claimed to be working independently of the Russian government. But Western intelligence officials and disinformation researchers have linked Dougan with a Russian influence operation dubbed Storm-1516. "From what we have observed so far, their (Storm-1516's) current approach appears to be as follows: Create a large network of fake media outlets, all of which would be updated regularly with AI-generated filler articles, then activate them by one at a time when required for a specific campaign," said the Gnida Project, an anonymous research group tracking Russian influence operations. 'Front man' European intelligence documents cited by US media describe Dougan as a prolific Kremlin propagandist who is paid and directed by the GRU, Russia's military intelligence service. "Dougan is playing the front man role in this operation," a Gnida Project member told AFP. Germany's security services have warned that Russia and its sympathisers could step up meddling and disinformation to boost extremist parties and sow doubt about the democratic process. Media investigations have pointed to Kremlin-linked efforts to support not just the AfD but also boost the Russia-friendly views of the far-left Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW). Leader of left-wing populist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) Sahra Wagenknecht arrives for an election campaign rally in Saxony, on August 20, 2024 in Zwickau, eastern Germany, ahead of the state election in Saxony. (Photo by JENS SCHLUETER / AFP) Germany's interior ministry has set up a taskforce to take "necessary protection measures" against any disinformation, sabotage, espionage and cyber-attacks. Researchers say a German government less aligned with NATO and Ukraine and more skeptical of European integration would be beneficial to Moscow's geopolitical strategy. As the election approaches, Dougan appears poised to release more disinformation and polarising narratives. However, his efforts with Germany were struggling to achieve the same traction as his campaigns in the United States, where his claims garnered tens of millions of views and targeted high-profile politicians. "Unlike the US, where he was more attuned to the political climate and knew what narratives would resonate, Dougan's apparent lack of familiarity with German cultural and political nuances, coupled with a playbook that has been repeatedly exposed, has made his campaigns easier to identify and dismiss," Sadeghi said. By Johanna Lehn with Anuj Chopra in Washington and Dounia Mahieddine in Paris
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
After US election, Kremlin propagandist sets sights on German vote
From a fabricated sex scandal to a fake museum heist, disinformation aimed at influencing Germany's high-stakes election is originating from dozens of AI-generated German sites apparently linked to a US fugitive turned Kremlin propagandist, researchers say. John Dougan runs a network of more than 100 such fake sites, which mimic German media outlets, mirroring a disinformation tactic used during the American election last year, according to researchers at the German nonprofit Correctiv and the US watchdog NewsGuard. The sites by the former Florida deputy sheriff, who fled to Russia while facing a slew of charges including extortion, are flooding the internet with content favourable to the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. They also target mainstream parties such as Germany's Greens, whose support for Ukraine and NATO is in direct contradiction with Russian geopolitical interests. "Dougan's case demonstrates how the Kremlin is increasingly leveraging non-Russian nationals and Western fugitives to spread propaganda, obscuring their direct involvement and evading detection," NewsGuard analyst McKenzie Sadeghi told AFP. "Dougan's apparent efforts in Germany recycle the same tactics he used in disinformation efforts during the US election." One of the sites called "Echo der Zeit", (Echo of Time), falsely claimed that Green party candidate Robert Habeck sexually abused a woman. The claim, Sadeghi said, bore similarities to Dougan's campaign last year that falsely accused the former US vice-presidential contender Tim Walz of sexually assaulting a student. Another falsehood planted on a site in Dougan's network was that Germany plans to import 1.9 million Kenyan workers, a narrative that seeks to boost the AfD's anti-immigrant sentiment. The claim was also splashed across African news sites, an old trick Sadeghi said was used to obscure its Russian origin. - 'Large network' - Researchers spotlighted another false claim of a 100 million euro ($105 million) corruption scandal involving missing paintings at the Berlin art museum Gemaldegalerie, which sought to implicate German politicians such as Habeck and Claudia Roth. Dougan denies any involvement with any Russian entity, calling the assertions "made up". "I find the Russian government to be rather useless for anything, a bunch of idiot bureaucrats who never get anything done. So, I don't know why everyone thinks I work for them," he told NewsGuard in a text message last month. Dougan, who once served in the US Marines, has long claimed to be working independently of the Russian government. But Western intelligence officials and disinformation researchers have linked Dougan with a Russian influence operation dubbed Storm-1516. "From what we have observed so far, their (Storm-1516's) current approach appears to be as follows: Create a large network of fake media outlets, all of which would be updated regularly with AI-generated filler articles, then activate them by one at a time when required for a specific campaign," said the Gnida Project, an anonymous research group tracking Russian influence operations. - 'Front man' - European intelligence documents cited by US media describe Dougan as a prolific Kremlin propagandist who is paid and directed by the GRU, Russia's military intelligence service. "Dougan is playing the front man role in this operation," a Gnida Project member told AFP. Germany's security services have warned that Russia and its sympathisers could step up meddling and disinformation to boost extremist parties and sow doubt about the democratic process. Media investigations have pointed to Kremlin-linked efforts to support not just the AfD but also boost the Russia-friendly views of the far-left Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW). Germany's interior ministry has set up a taskforce to take "necessary protection measures" against any disinformation, sabotage, espionage and cyber-attacks. Researchers say a German government less aligned with NATO and Ukraine and more skeptical of European integration would be beneficial to Moscow's geopolitical strategy. As the election approaches, Dougan appears poised to release more disinformation and polarising narratives. However, his efforts with Germany were struggling to achieve the same traction as his campaigns in the United States, where his claims garnered tens of millions of views and targeted high-profile politicians. "Unlike the US, where he was more attuned to the political climate and knew what narratives would resonate, Dougan's apparent lack of familiarity with German cultural and political nuances, coupled with a playbook that has been repeatedly exposed, has made his campaigns easier to identify and dismiss," Sadeghi said. burs-ac/yad
