Russia Campaigns for the French Presidency

French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen

(KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP/Getty Images)

Of France's four leading presidential candidates, Marine Le Pen of the National Front party is Russia's most enthusiastic supporter by far. In March, Le Pen even traveled to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The European Union's busy election season is an important campaign opportunity, not only for the politicians running, but also for the Kremlin. Several leaders and governments around the world have accused Moscow of coordinating disinformation campaigns to influence other countries' political affairs over the past year. The Kremlin quadrupled its spending on media activities abroad in its latest federal budget, and since half its projected expenditures are labeled confidential, Moscow may well be devoting hundreds of millions more to the cause. Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of Russia's legislature and a top political strategist, has been stumping across the European Union this campaign season, meeting with representatives of nationalist parties such as Alternative for Germany. And now Moscow has turned its focus toward France as the country gears up for two months of presidential and legislative elections .