The European Parliament's Special committee on foreign interference in all democratic processes within the EU published an annual report on Russian propaganda and disinformation aimed at justifying the war to undermine the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. As reported by EUvsDisinfo, Russia began informational preparations for war against Ukraine back in 2013. Russian foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) was and is being spread in 2 directions: internal and external.
"Russia continues to target Ukraine with information manipulation and the international community to break the resolve to condemn the war and impose costs on Russia for its violation of international law," 2022 report on EEAS activities to counter FIMI.
"Nearly all disinformation narratives used by the Kremlin to justify and mobilise domestic support for the invasion can be traced back to 2013-2014 and the Euromaidan protests, in the context of which the Kremlin sought to portray Ukraine as a ‘nazi state', a 'failed state' and 'not a state at all'. In this manner, pro-Kremlin media have been preparing the ground for the military invasion for years,” the EEAS report.
For example, on the website of the Ministry of foreign affairs (!) of Russia, information was published that exposes the EU as a servant of the United States. After that, the information was published on more than 100 other channels, including Sputnik Africa. Russian diplomatic institutions have long ceased as a source of legitimacy and authority. Do you remember what the Russian embassy in the UK proposed to do with the Azov fighters? “Hanging, because they're not real soldiers. They deserve a humiliating death.”
"Nearly all disinformation narratives used by the Kremlin to justify and mobilise domestic support for the invasion can be traced back to 2013-2014 and the Euromaidan protests, in the context of which the Kremlin sought to portray Ukraine as a 'Nazi state', a 'failed state' and 'not a state at all'. In this manner, pro-Kremlin media have been preparing the soil for the military invasion for years,'' EUvsDisinfo.
Specialists of the EUvsDisinfo project prove that Russian propaganda is still aimed at creating global hunger and an energy crisis, as well as using these disasters as weapons. Moreover, the Kremlin narrative claims that the causes of the famine and crisis were not the Russian attack on Ukraine but the Western sanctions of the European Union.
"There is no longer any distance between the Kremlin's diplomatic and disinformation arms," EEAS report.
Russian FIMI actively uses the help of information channels, which not only spread the Kremlin's position, but regularly change the narrative. Such a strategy is very useful to make people (especially the domestic audience of Russia) not believe anything (even the truth about the Kremlin's crimes) and blindly follow the shepherd (Putin). In 60 out of 100 cases, Russian propaganda works to justify the Russian attack on Ukraine. The European Parliament's Special committee on foreign interference in all democratic processes, including disinformation, continues to monitor Russian lies and propaganda in all spheres and counter FIMI.
