The Irish government has been warned by the United States of potential attempts by Russia to interfere in upcoming elections.
The warning was contained in a diplomatic cable sent last month by the U.S. State Department to dozens of countries worldwide considered to be at risk from election meddling by Moscow.
Irish government and diplomatic sources confirmed to the Irish Times that Ireland was one of the recipients.
The warning states Russia is increasingly using social media, espionage and other hybrid or grey-zone methods to interfere with or discredit elections in democratic countries.
“Our information indicates that senior Russian government officials, including the Kremlin, see value in this type of influence operation and perceive it to be effective,” it stated.
The Irish Times, citing sources, reported that U.S officials have warned countries, including Ireland, that since attempting to influence U.S. presidential elections in 2016 and 2020, Russia has become emboldened and increasingly sophisticated in its interference attempts.
The goal is not necessarily to ensure one side wins in an election but to sow enough division and doubt to create instability and erode social cohesion in countries Russia perceives to be hostile to its interests, Washington believes.
“Since coming out very strongly in support of Ukraine, Ireland certainly falls within that camp,” an Irish diplomatic source said.
The European Parliament elections scheduled for next year are believed to be a main target for Russian interference. Ireland will also host local elections next year and a general election sometime before March 2025.
An Irish government spokesperson confirmed to the Irish Times that it has been in discussions with the U.S. about potential Russian interference but declined to go into specifics. The U.S. Embassy in Dublin confirmed the existence of the cable.
The Russian Embassy in Dublin dismissed the U.S. warnings as part of an “anti-Russian disinformation campaign."
