Sweden Democrats staffer in parliament spreads pro-Russian narratives

A Sweden Democrats staffer in Sweden’s parliament has for years spread pro-Russian messages and taken part in cultural activities linked to Russian state interests, an investigation by Expo reported by SVT News has found.

“If this is true, it is serious. The Sweden Democrats must then ensure that the employee is removed,” Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson of the Moderate Party told Aftonbladet.

According to Expo, the staffer has shared material and written posts on Facebook, X and Telegram echoing Russian state narratives since Russia’s annexation of Crimea. The staffer, who moved to Sweden from Russia in the mid-2000s, continued sharing pro-Russian material after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, including messages about the war, Swedish institutions and Western countries.

One post shared by the staffer showed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shaking hands with executives from several major US banks and asset managers. The post was captioned: “Zelenskyy meets BlackRock, JP Morgan and the other new owners of Ukraine.”

Alongside the parliamentary job, the staffer has also had links to Pravfond, a Russian spy fund previously investigated by SVT.

“There is no room for pro-Russian narratives in Sweden. We are in a European war. These are serious matters,” Kristersson told Aftonbladet.

Social Democratic Party leader Magdalena Andersson told SVT that she also viewed the information seriously.

“There are many questions that now need answers. But what we know is that Russian hybrid warfare is a threat to our country’s security,” she said.

Asked whether the person should be allowed to remain in the job, Andersson said the Sweden Democrats must answer that question.

Expo has not confirmed whether the staffer has undergone a security assessment. The Sweden Democrats’ press office told SVT that the party would examine the serious allegations and that it had procedures for recruitment.

“All our secretaries undergo a security assessment, as do all our officials in the Government Offices,” the press office said.

The press office also said the person had been strongly critical of the Russian regime in recent years.