What a response? Europe has already taken many positive steps in this regard, such as banning Russian state-controlled media, providing subsidies to independent journalism and maintaining the long-standing EUvsDisinfo platform. The expulsion of more than 600 Russian intelligence agents operating under diplomatic cover has also damaged the Kremlin’s influence in Europe.
However, more can be done. Russian disinformation has adapted, while Russian intelligence agents and officers continue to operate on European soil. As highlighted in the European Parliament’s March 2022 resolution on foreign interference, a whole-of-society approach is warranted to combat Russian interference. And since Moscow’s hostile intentions toward the West will continue, we need a long-term commitment to counter its political warfare.
When it comes to disinformation, Europe can learn valuable lessons from the Ukrainian experience: disinformation can spread quickly, so responses must be just as rapid. Close but flexible cooperation between government and civil society can lead to useful overlaps in identifying and exposing Russian assets. Punitive measures – such as media bans – are controversial, but they must be used judiciously to disrupt revenues generated by such operations and stop the spread of misinformation. And finally, claims of self-regulation by platforms should be approached with skepticism.
Russian intelligence agencies, meanwhile, pose an even more formidable challenge. And to confront them, we will need more Europe – not less – because cooperation between European partners will lead to rapid counter-espionage work.
For example, in the case of Voice of Europe, Belgian, Czech, Polish and European services combined their sanctions and research, revealing the spy network that operated the disinformation platform and collected information about Poland. And again, the link to the Russian war in Ukraine is clear, since Poland is the main hub of support for kyiv.
In this sense, the fight against Russian disinformation and other “active measures” are linked to Ukraine. Ultimately, it is up to the Kremlin to decide when it will end its aggression against the country and its political war against Europe. But appeasement in Ukraine will only whet the Kremlin’s appetite, demonstrating that pressure and interference can bear fruit.
Simply put, our determination in Ukraine is also our determination to protect our own security.
Politices
