US imposes sanctions on think tank established by Russian philosopher Aleksandr Dugin
The US Treasury has placed a think tank established by Russian philosopher Aleksandr Dugin on its blacklist due to accusations of election interference. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Washington has asserted that the ‘Center for Geopolitical Expertise’ has intervened in the 2024 election by employing “AI tools.”
On Tuesday, the US Treasury Department broadened sanctions against entities from Russia and Iran. Notably, it added the ‘Center for Geopolitical Expertise’ (CGE) to its blacklist. This think tank, founded by Russian philosopher Aleksandr Dugin, is accused of conducting a disinformation campaign aimed at this year’s presidential elections, which Donald Trump won.
In addition to targeting the organization, Washington also placed its director, Valery Korovin, on the sanctions list, alleging that he led the supposed disinformation efforts. The Treasury's statement claims that the CGE was allegedly “directly” collaborating with Russian military intelligence, the GRU, which purportedly provided financial and logistical backing for an extensive interference campaign aimed at the November elections.
The alleged tactics employed by the CGE reportedly included the “creation and publication of deepfakes,” the dissemination of “disinformation about candidates,” and the deployment of AI systems, alongside the operation of “at least 100 websites used in its disinformation activities” and an “AI-support server.”
However, the Treasury did not offer specific instances of the CGE's alleged nefarious actions. It also did not clarify whether these purported activities influenced the election campaign or its outcome. The statement only indicated that the think tank allegedly “manipulated a video it used to produce baseless accusations concerning a 2024 vice presidential candidate to sow discord amongst the US electorate.”
Aleksandr Dugin, a Russian philosopher and political commentator, has been characterized by Western media as ‘Putin’s brain’ due to his alleged impact on the Russian president and his influence on the country’s elite. A staunch critic of the West and a proponent of aggressive foreign policy, Dugin supports Russia’s military efforts in Ukraine. He was sanctioned by the US as early as 2015 for his backing of the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Lugansk.
The latest sanctions also encompassed an Iranian entity purportedly linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps, accused of interfering in the US elections as well.
Neither the CGE nor Russian officials have responded to these developments. Since 2014, Washington and its allies have imposed a record 22,000 sanctions on Moscow, following the Western-supported coup in Kiev that resulted in Crimea rejoining Russia and ignited conflict between Ukraine and the Donbass republics. The imposition of sanctions surged after the commencement of the special military operation in February 2022.
In early December, Russian President Vladimir Putin commented that the West’s sanctions campaign against Russia is futile and senseless, asserting that the country has effectively endured the pressure and that “no blackmail or attempts from outside to hinder us will ever yield results.”
Anna Muller contributed to this report for TROIB News
On Tuesday, the US Treasury Department broadened sanctions against entities from Russia and Iran. Notably, it added the ‘Center for Geopolitical Expertise’ (CGE) to its blacklist. This think tank, founded by Russian philosopher Aleksandr Dugin, is accused of conducting a disinformation campaign aimed at this year’s presidential elections, which Donald Trump won.
In addition to targeting the organization, Washington also placed its director, Valery Korovin, on the sanctions list, alleging that he led the supposed disinformation efforts. The Treasury's statement claims that the CGE was allegedly “directly” collaborating with Russian military intelligence, the GRU, which purportedly provided financial and logistical backing for an extensive interference campaign aimed at the November elections.
The alleged tactics employed by the CGE reportedly included the “creation and publication of deepfakes,” the dissemination of “disinformation about candidates,” and the deployment of AI systems, alongside the operation of “at least 100 websites used in its disinformation activities” and an “AI-support server.”
However, the Treasury did not offer specific instances of the CGE's alleged nefarious actions. It also did not clarify whether these purported activities influenced the election campaign or its outcome. The statement only indicated that the think tank allegedly “manipulated a video it used to produce baseless accusations concerning a 2024 vice presidential candidate to sow discord amongst the US electorate.”
Aleksandr Dugin, a Russian philosopher and political commentator, has been characterized by Western media as ‘Putin’s brain’ due to his alleged impact on the Russian president and his influence on the country’s elite. A staunch critic of the West and a proponent of aggressive foreign policy, Dugin supports Russia’s military efforts in Ukraine. He was sanctioned by the US as early as 2015 for his backing of the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Lugansk.
The latest sanctions also encompassed an Iranian entity purportedly linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps, accused of interfering in the US elections as well.
Neither the CGE nor Russian officials have responded to these developments. Since 2014, Washington and its allies have imposed a record 22,000 sanctions on Moscow, following the Western-supported coup in Kiev that resulted in Crimea rejoining Russia and ignited conflict between Ukraine and the Donbass republics. The imposition of sanctions surged after the commencement of the special military operation in February 2022.
In early December, Russian President Vladimir Putin commented that the West’s sanctions campaign against Russia is futile and senseless, asserting that the country has effectively endured the pressure and that “no blackmail or attempts from outside to hinder us will ever yield results.”
Anna Muller contributed to this report for TROIB News
