Russia Sought to Sway Weapons Watchdog Vote Using Disinformation
- Russia lost its OPCW board seat despite lobbying effort
- Memo shows how Moscow uses diplomatic network to spread claims
The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons headquarters in The Hague.
Photographer: John Thys/AFP/Getty ImagesRussia used disinformation and unsubstantiated claims in a plan to lobby officials in at least a dozen countries as part of an unsuccessful bid to retain a seat on the board of the international chemical weapons watchdog.
The Russian Foreign Ministry sent a memo to its embassies in several countries – including Turkey, Mexico, Brazil, and the Philippines – setting out Moscow’s talking points ahead of a vote last week to decide the executive council of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, or OPCW, according to people familiar with the matter and documents seen by Bloomberg.