The Kremlin’s faction in the European Parliament: Meet the MEPs still traveling to Russia to meet politicians, officials and even spies
On Oct. 8, in the wake of Russia’s nationwide legislative elections, the European Parliament overwhelmingly declared the resulting State Duma in Moscow to be illegitimate — the result of a stage-managed “vote” that was neither free nor fair. Nevertheless, 42 European lawmakers voted against what might have seemed to be an obvious resolution. Even after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the…
A recent investigation has revealed that one in ten current members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have visited Russia since 2014, with at least 24 of them openly supporting the Kremlin. Among these MEPs, Slovak politician Ľuboš Blaha stands out as a pro-Kremlin advocate. In 2026, Blaha toured the Russian State Duma building, where he was accompanied by a song by the band Lyube and denounced Western hypocrisy.
His journey to Russia was initially reported to be organized by the Russian Historical Society, which is chaired by Sergei Naryshkin, head of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR). The visit to the State Duma was not mentioned on the European Parliament's website, but Blaha's flight records and social media posts confirm his presence.
During the same trip, Blaha met with Leonid Slutsky, who has been accused of foreign recruitment, and Gennady Zyuganov, leader of the Communist Party. Blaha identifies as a left-wing politician and emphasizes his socialist identity during his Russian visits, despite recent economic inequality in the country. Blaha's visits seem to overlook the financial ties between Naryshkin and oligarch God Nisanov.
Meanwhile, Thierry Mariani, a French MEP, is a favorite of Kremlin propaganda. Russian state news agencies frequently quote him, and TASS obtains comments directly from Mariani. He has criticized Western aid to Ukraine and called for ending the war on Russia's terms. Mariani's wife, originally from Russia, has been using her ex-husband's surname in official documents since their marriage.
Her brother, Sergei Presnetsov, works for the Ural Mining and Metallurgical Company, controlled by oligarchs Andrei Bokarev and Iskander Makhmudov, who have interests in France. Mariani has been under investigation in France for corruption, breach of trust, money laundering, and influence peddling since 2021. The Franco-Russian Dialogue, established in 2004 under Russian President Vladimir Putin and former French President Jacques Chirac, has been linked to Mariani and his wife throughout this period.
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