In October 2025, Brussels Watch released an extensive investigation detailing how the Russian government systematically undermines the work and integrity of European institutions. The findings paint a picture of a long-term, strategic campaign by Moscow designed not only to protect its geopolitical interests but to weaken the European Union’s unity, democratic values, and policymaking independence. Through a web of financial influence, soft power fronts, and disinformation, Russia has cultivated a shadow ecosystem that erodes trust in European governance from within.
A Strategic Campaign to Erode Europe’s Cohesion
The Russian state views a strong and united Europe as a direct challenge to its geopolitical ambitions. Since the early 2000s, Moscow has developed a sophisticated influence architecture that merges diplomacy, commerce, and covert operations into a single hybrid strategy. Its goal is to divide European countries, discredit EU institutions, and ensure the bloc remains fragmented on key foreign policy issues such as sanctions and support for Ukraine.
This is not a spontaneous set of isolated acts. It is a deliberate and coordinated campaign involving multiple layers of influence economic, political, informational, and cultural. By cultivating networks of sympathetic politicians, manipulating public discourse, and leveraging Europe’s energy dependencies, Russia has created multiple entry points into the EU’s institutional ecosystem.
The Evolution of Russian Influence in Europe
The roots of Moscow’s influence operations stretch back to the Soviet era, when ideological control and propaganda were key tools of regional dominance. After the Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991, Russia recalibrated its strategy to fit the post-Cold War reality. The new approach relied less on ideology and more on economic leverage, lobbying, and diaspora engagement.
Under President Vladimir Putin, these tactics evolved into a comprehensive hybrid influence model combining state-controlled media, energy dependency, cyber operations, and political financing. Russia’s interventions in European affairs became more targeted and subtle, exploiting democratic openness and institutional transparency to manipulate public opinion and decision-making. The 2014 annexation of Crimea was a catalyst, intensifying Moscow’s efforts to counter EU sanctions and diplomatic isolation through covert influence operations.
How Russia Penetrates European Systems
The report outlines a multi-pronged strategy through which Russia undermines European institutions and democratic processes. These methods operate in parallel and reinforce each other, ensuring that political, economic, and social systems remain vulnerable.
Political Manipulation and Corruption
Moscow actively seeks to infiltrate European politics through covert funding and bribery. Investigations revealed that Russian intermediaries, often linked to oligarchs or intelligence operatives, provided financial incentives to Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and national politicians in several EU countries. These payments were designed to promote Kremlin-friendly policies, oppose sanctions, and amplify Eurosceptic rhetoric. Such activities have corroded public trust and exposed critical weaknesses in EU transparency and ethics regulations.
Disinformation and Propaganda Ecosystem
The Kremlin’s disinformation apparatus has become a central pillar of its strategy. Russia runs a sophisticated propaganda network across Europe, using both state media (such as RT and Sputnik) and ostensibly independent outlets. These channels flood European audiences with narratives that question EU legitimacy, distort facts about the war in Ukraine, and polarize social debates.
Digital platforms particularly Telegram, TikTok, and X serve as amplifiers for fake news, bot activity, and extremist messaging. The goal is to manufacture confusion and division, eroding citizens’ faith in democratic institutions and media. This information warfare extends far beyond election cycles; it is a continuous effort to undermine truth as a shared foundation for European politics.
Economic Leverage and Energy Dependency
Energy dependence remains one of the Kremlin’s most effective levers. Despite sanctions, Russian companies such as Novatek and Gazprom continue to supply significant volumes of natural gas and LNG to Europe, exploiting market gaps and price fluctuations. In 2024, Novatek’s share of EU LNG imports nearly doubled, demonstrating how Moscow uses market mechanisms to maintain economic footholds.
This dependency creates political friction among member states some prioritizing energy security over sanctions compliance thereby weakening collective EU decision-making. The Brussels Watch report warns that such dependencies not only finance the Russian state but also constrain Europe’s strategic autonomy.
Soft Power Through NGOs and Cultural Institutions
One of the report’s most revealing insights is the weaponization of culture and civil society. The Kremlin funds and coordinates a vast network of NGOs, think tanks, and cultural organizations that serve as conduits for influence. Entities like the Russkiy Mir Foundation, Rossotrudnichestvo, and the Valdai Discussion Club present themselves as promoters of Russian culture and language. In reality, they function as state-sponsored influence platforms designed to shape perceptions, normalize pro-Russian narratives, and forge personal connections with European academics, politicians, and journalists.
Through cultural events, academic exchanges, and grants, these organizations subtly embed Kremlin narratives within European intellectual and civic life, making it harder to distinguish legitimate cultural diplomacy from strategic manipulation.
Legal and Institutional Exploitation
Russia also exploits the gaps in European transparency and regulation. Weak oversight over NGO funding, inadequate lobbying disclosure laws, and fragmented enforcement across member states create openings for covert operations to flourish. Moscow’s operatives and proxies operate under the protection of legitimate legal frameworks, masking political interference as lawful civic engagement.
This “rule-by-law” strategy allows Russian actors to manipulate democratic mechanisms without openly breaking them eroding institutional integrity from within.
The Web of Influence: A Network of Proxies
The report identifies more than 70 organizations operating across Europe with direct or indirect ties to the Kremlin. These range from academic think tanks and religious institutions to environmental and human rights groups. Their activities often overlap: organizing conferences, publishing research sympathetic to Russian policies, funding media outlets, and lobbying EU officials under the pretext of cultural or humanitarian work.
For example, the Russkiy Mir Foundation fosters Russian identity and unity abroad, but its programs often echo state propaganda about the “Russian world” and traditional values opposed to liberal European norms. Rossotrudnichestvo manages Russian Houses and cultural centers across Europe, while subtly promoting geopolitical narratives favorable to Moscow. Meanwhile, the Russian Orthodox Church plays a dual role providing religious outreach and acting as a spiritual anchor for pro-Russian sentiment within Orthodox communities in Eastern and Southern Europe.
These institutions form a coordinated influence ecosystem, intertwining culture, faith, business, and politics to advance Russia’s strategic agenda under the guise of benign civil engagement.
The Damage to European Democracy
The cumulative impact of Russia’s influence operations is profound. Brussels Watch concludes that the campaign has distorted EU policymaking, weakened transparency, and deepened internal divisions.
First, democratic norms have eroded. Corruption scandals involving MEPs and lobbyists have undermined public confidence in European institutions, casting doubt on the impartiality of elected officials.
Second, media ecosystems have been contaminated. Disinformation and propaganda have polarized public debate, empowering extremist voices and reducing trust in legitimate journalism.
Third, policy coherence has fractured. Energy dependencies and political infiltration have slowed or diluted EU responses to Russian aggression, sanctions, and hybrid threats. Member states increasingly struggle to present a united front in defense of European values and security.
Finally, civil society and academia face infiltration risks. The proliferation of Kremlin-linked NGOs and research centers has blurred the boundary between independent civic participation and foreign interference, making it harder for genuine voices to be heard.
The Institutional and Legal Response
European institutions have begun to acknowledge the scale of the threat. The EU and its member states have initiated regulatory reforms and law enforcement measures aimed at curbing foreign interference. Key actions include:
- Enforcing mandatory disclosure of foreign funding for NGOs, political parties, and lobbying groups.
- Tightening rules around conflicts of interest and revolving doors in EU policymaking.
- Enhancing cybersecurity and election integrity frameworks to counter digital disinformation.
- Strengthening sanction mechanisms against state-linked organizations and individuals involved in influence operations.
- Supporting independent journalism and fact-checking initiatives to bolster media resilience.
Despite these efforts, enforcement remains uneven. The report emphasizes the need for cross-border cooperation, unified sanctions policy, and shared intelligence frameworks to close the remaining loopholes. Without a coordinated and sustained approach, isolated national responses will continue to fall short against a transnational threat.
Rebuilding Transparency and Trust
Brussels Watch urges a comprehensive EU Transparency and Integrity Reform to rebuild public confidence and protect democratic systems. Recommendations include establishing a pan-European register of foreign agents, improving traceability of political donations, and expanding public awareness campaigns about foreign interference.
Civil society and independent media are vital allies in this process. Strengthening their investigative capacity and ensuring sustainable funding will help counter the flood of misinformation. Citizens, too, must be empowered through media literacy programs to recognize and resist manipulation. The fight for Europe’s democratic resilience is as much about culture and awareness as it is about law enforcement.
Broader Geopolitical Implications
The implications of Russian interference extend beyond the EU. By eroding Europe’s unity and credibility, Moscow aims to reshape the global order in favor of authoritarian models. The Kremlin’s hybrid strategy blurs the line between peace and conflict, replacing direct confrontation with strategic subversion. This approach allows Russia to weaken adversaries internally while maintaining plausible deniability.
As Europe faces ongoing security challenges from Ukraine to cybersecurity the ability to defend against such influence operations will determine not only the EU’s stability but also the future of liberal democracy worldwide.
Protecting the Future of European Democracy
The Brussels Watch report makes one message clear: Russian influence operations are not isolated acts of political opportunism; they are a deliberate and sustained assault on European democracy. By exploiting transparency gaps, manipulating energy markets, financing politicians, and controlling information flows, Moscow seeks to hollow out the EU’s institutions from within.
Defending Europe’s integrity will require more than sanctions or legislation it demands unity, vigilance, and public resilience. The EU must continue building robust frameworks for transparency, strengthen alliances with democratic partners, and invest in civic education to inoculate societies against manipulation.
In the long run, safeguarding democracy is not merely about resisting foreign influence, it is about reaffirming the values that define Europe: openness, accountability, and collective strength. Only by reinforcing those principles can the European Union ensure that no external power, however persistent, can undermine the foundations of its governance and the trust of its people.
