The European Parliament, as one of the key institutions of the European Union in matters of imposing sanctions against Russia, supporting Ukraine and the EU’s overall foreign policy, is a particularly important target for influence by the Kremlin. In its resolutions, the European Parliament has repeatedly expressed concern that Russia is attempting to undermine European democracy through interference, recruitment, financing of politicians and the spread of disinformation. The texts noted that Moscow ‘recruits some MEPs as agents of influence’ and creates dependent relationships with individual parties and political figures, including through financial support and other forms of pressure.
One of the most high-profile examples in this context is the case of former British MEP Nathan Gill. In November 2025, a British court sentenced him to ten and a half years in prison for accepting bribes from Russian liaison officer Oleg Voloshin. According to the investigation, Voloshin gave Gill instructions on how to act in Moscow’s interests on at least eight occasions. It also emerged that during his time in the European Parliament between 2018 and 2019, Gill received around £40,000 (US$53,732) in bribes for making anti-Ukrainian speeches, spreading narratives favourable to Moscow and organising pro-Russian events. This case became one of the first examples of direct proven bribery of a Member of the European Parliament in favour of a foreign state.
Gill represented the right-wing populist Reform UK party, which supported Brexit and often took pro-Russian positions. After the scheme was exposed, he lost the support of his party, which described his actions as treason.
Another telling example is that of Latvian MEP Tatjana Ždanoka, who represents the Russian Union of Latvia. She had long been viewed with suspicion due to her consistent voting against resolutions condemning Russia and her political rhetoric, which was close to Moscow’s position. In February 2024, an investigation was launched against Zhdanoka on suspicion of collaborating with Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB).
The investigation, based on an analysis of electronic correspondence, showed that Zhdanoka had been exchanging messages with individuals linked to the FSB for many years and had participated in events that were used by Russian propaganda to reinforce the thesis of European ‘scepticism’ towards sanctions and support for Ukraine. These suspicions seriously undermined her reputation and effectively ended her twenty-year career in the European Parliament.
Zhdanoka denies the allegations, calling them an attempt to discredit her activities and a violation of her right to private correspondence. However, the fact that it was the European Parliament that initiated the discussion of these ties in the context of the investigation into foreign interference indicates the level of concern that this precedent has caused among European politicians.
Another high-profile episode involved German politician Peter Bystron from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. According to German authorities and investigation materials, Bystron received cash and cryptocurrency through the pro-Russian media platform Voice of Europe in exchange for political activity beneficial to Moscow, including speeches and votes.
The European Parliament denied him parliamentary immunity, allowing German and Bavarian prosecutors to initiate criminal proceedings on charges of passive corruption, money laundering and fraud.
The examples given are just the tip of the iceberg. There are still a significant number of MEPs who regularly vote against resolutions condemning Moscow or supporting Ukraine, and after the 2024 elections, the number of such MEPs has increased. Eighty-four of them have either voted against or abstained on key resolutions on Russia, which is roughly double the number in the previous term. Such positions are primarily characteristic of representatives of the far-right and far-left factions, as well as nationalist and populist parties.
In addition, investigations indicate that some politicians may have received support through intermediaries: from financing pro-Russian media to hidden schemes for paying for speeches and publications aimed at disinformation and undermining EU unity. The consequences of such activities go far beyond internal political differences and individual parliamentary debates. Pro-Russian influence in the European Parliament can weaken sanctions pressure on Moscow, giving Russia additional political space to continue its aggression against Ukraine and strengthen its presence in neighbouring regions. At the same time, this influence undermines pan-European solidarity and citizens’ trust in the institutions of the European Union when voters are confronted with contradictory or openly pro-Russian positions of their own representatives. In the long term, such actions exacerbate internal divisions within the EU, facilitating the spread of pro-Russian disinformation and political narratives aimed at dividing allies and weakening Europe’s unified foreign policy line.
European institutions are becoming increasingly aware of the scale and seriousness of this threat. In December 2025, during a debate in the European Parliament on ‘Cases of pro-Russian espionage in the European Parliament,’ the creation of a special body to investigate the involvement of certain MEPs in espionage and foreign interference was discussed, which was an acknowledgement of the fact that Russia is waging a hybrid war against the European Union, waged not only with weapons, but also through financial influence, corruption, political pressure and systematic propaganda aimed at undermining democratic processes and the unity of the EU.
Today, it has become clear that Russian influence in the European Parliament is a proven fact, part of which has already resulted in criminal cases and investigations. The cases of Nate Gill, Tatiana Zhdanoka and Peter Bystron show how external influence can penetrate the upper echelons of European politics through corruption, ideological sympathy and disinformation. Russian influence operations in the European Parliament are one of the central elements of Moscow’s strategy to weaken Europe from within. By exploiting the openness of democracy, political pluralism and institutional fragmentation, Russia seeks to alter the strategic balance without direct military confrontation.