Romanian Government Funds Sputnik-Affiliated Website

Last year, the Ministry for the Romanians from Everywhere allocated €20,000 to fund the website Usd24.ro, a website that republishes all the articles from the Romanian version of the Russian publication Sputnik, Recorder.ro reported.

Usd24.ro is part of a network of internet pages that republish and disseminate Russian propaganda. Sites such as Usd24.ro, Stiriapropo.ro, Apropo.it or Gzo.ro copy in their entirety stories from the Russian news agency and spread them on social networks.

The man behind these fake news platforms is Liviu Besleaga, someone who is closely related to the Romanian government. He is vice-president of the NGO Coalition for Romania’s Modernization. Following the investigation of Recorder.ro, a news server in Romania, Mr Besleaga started to delete all the articles signed by Sputnik from Usd24.ro.

The minister for the Romanians from Everywhere (yes, such a ministry exists), Natalia Intotero, did not answer the invitations to comment from Recorder.

Pictured: Liviu Besleaga, shaking hands (photo: Facebook)