Thread by @anneapplebaum

1. Here's what's interesting about the @thesundaytimes story on Arron Banks and his links to Russia: It illustrates how Russian support for European political movements actually works
thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/t…

2. Russians don't usually give direct funding, the exception being Marine Le Pen's National Front. Instead, they offer lucrative business deals to high-ranking members of the movement.

3. There is some evidence of this in the case of the Austrian Freedom Party, and also the Italian Northern League. Important point: It's not illegal, or not necessarily. It doesn't break laws on foreign funding for political parties, if they exist

4. Russian offers of lucrative private deals could be used to make politicians 'pro-Russian,' even if those deals somehow don't work out. That may have been the point of that Trump Tower Moscow negotiation, though we don't know enough about it

5. of course, if the deals come through, then the money can be used to finance a political campaign - legally.

more from @guardiannews here
theguardian.com/politics/2018/…

also, everybody should read @A_SHEKH0VTS0V 's book, Tango Noir tango-noir.com