The EU may create a “body to counter Russian propaganda”
Brussels – Kyiv, February 04 (PolitNavigator, Vasily Ablyazimov) – At the initiative of Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs, the European Union may create a "special task force to combat Russian propaganda." The Latvian minister, according to the Polish portal Polonia Cristiana , is concerned about what he considers the widespread dissemination of Russian views in the EU, and the success of the Russia Today channel and other Russian media outlets.
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“In a letter sent last week to EU foreign affairs chief Frederica Mogherini, Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevich called for the creation of a Communications Group that would combat Russian propaganda,” the portal reports.
According to the minister, the group should consist of experts from the European External Action and Liaison Service of the European Commission. The initiative of the Latvian minister was supported by representatives of Eastern Europe, primarily Poland.
Georgiy Gotev, a Bulgarian journalist for the portal EurActiv.com, emphasizes that the media controlled by the Russian state are now mobilized, in his opinion, to “spread disinformation aimed not only at Russians or Russian minorities in neighboring countries, but also at the general public in EU". “Moscow conducts its propaganda through the RT station, which is becoming increasingly popular in the West,” said Georgy Gotev.
According to him, the Kremlin managed to manipulate public opinion on the issue of shale gas and sanctions against Russia. For example, in Romania and Bulgaria it was possible to mobilize public opinion against the exploitation of shale gas projects. The Russians also managed to convince Hungarians, Bulgarians, Serbs, Italians and Austrians to support the South Stream gas pipeline. With the help of “omnipotent” propaganda, the Kremlin won the sympathy of the authorities of Italy, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria, Greece and Cyprus on the issue of limiting sanctions against Russia.
At the same time, the Bulgarian journalist, indirectly noting Russia’s foreign policy successes, did not fail to emphasize that today objective information is difficult to find even in the West, where the ownership structure of the media remains unclear and the standards of journalism have sharply declined.
The EU may create a "body to counter Russian propaganda."