Deception of Europe

Security experts - “chief diplomat” of the EU Federica Mogherini: “It is time to call Russia the main source of hostile misinformation”

The Supreme EU representative for foreign affairs and security policy Federica Mogherini. Photo: Flickr.com **

On November 13, the EU Council for Foreign Affairs is gathering in Brussels. One of the main points of the agenda is measures to counteract the disinformation campaigns of the Russian Federation. On the eve of the meeting of the Council, more than 100 parliamentarians, journalists, European and American security experts from 22 countries signed the Prague Declaration, which frankly said: measures taken in response to Russian propaganda, as well as the funds allocated to the fight against it are clearly insufficient. The power of the EAST STRATCOM TASK, a special group to counteract Russian propaganda created in the EU 2 years ago, must be tripled.

“Despite all the hostile actions of Moscow, the reaction of Western democracies was largely limited and weak. For the sake of the policy of peace ( Russia. - NT), there were often excuses (its policy. - NT), such as an imaginary need to cooperate in the fight against terrorism, despite the obvious thing: no real and effective cooperation ( with Russia. - NT) is impossible, ”the Prazhsky declaration published on November 9 on the website of the Czech non -governmental organization European Values . Among others, it was signed by the general director of the Hermitage Capital investment fund and the initiator of the Magnitsky Law Bill Brauder and the former President of Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty (RFE/ RL) Jeff Gedmin.

Information blackmail

Experts began to prepare the text of the declaration in May 2017. Then, at the Stratsom conference in Prague, the basic principles of the upcoming work were formulated - how to effectively protect democratic countries and society in a hybrid war. However, the recommendations of experts were left without the attention of the EU leadership. “We still see inaction, despite all the efforts of Estonia, which is now presiding in the European Union,” Dmitry Teper, the executive director of the International Defense and Security Center (Estonia), also signed the declaration in a conversation with NT. - All the same, all words about Russia are clothed in soft, incomprehensible, muddy, foggy formulations. How much can you wait?! "

“The era of“ soft power ”is over. Now the Kremlin, promoting its interests, is very actively using aggressive "dark power"

Experts emphasize that the adoption of the declaration does not mean criticism in relation to the East Stratcom team, which already does a lot of work with small resources. According to them, the declaration is primarily aimed at mobilizing the political will of European senior officials.

“The era of“ soft power ”is over. Now the Kremlin, promoting its interests, is very actively using aggressive “dark power”, which implies different tools, and this is not a short -term problem, ”says Nerius Malyukyavichus, a researcher from the Institute of International Relations and Political Science of Vilnius University, who also signed a declaration. “And if, for example, everything has already understood everything about energy blackmail from Russia, then informational blackmail is still not taken seriously by many in Europe.”

Malyukyavichus recalls that in 1981 in America under President Reagan, a “working group on counteracting active events” was already created (Active Measures Working Group), which analyzed Soviet “active events”, primarily propaganda, and offered options for confrontation. Today, in the opinion of Malyukyavichus, it is time to create such a “working group-2”.

If Moscow does not stop ...

Prague declaration outlines several priority steps that the EU should be taken. First of all, experts insist that the information threat from Russia must be recognized officially. Moreover, they urge to impose additional sanctions against families and members of the near circle of Russian leaders if “Moscow does not stop”.

"Our main task is to understand how to make a lie slow, and the truth is fast."

The signing the declaration also indicates the need to create parliamentary committees to investigate the possible intervention of Russia in the election campaigns and conduct special research to understand which segments of the European society are most vulnerable to Russian propaganda. They also consider it important that the discussion of the “Russian threat” is as often as possible to be carried out into the public space.

But Europe must be defended not only at the level of individual countries, but also at the pan -European level, experts say. And for this it is necessary to strengthen the East Stratcom Task Force-its material and technical potential, they calculated, they must be increased three times. In addition, from the temporary structure it should be transformed into constant and receive at least € 1 million for targeted research. “These funds are needed to effectively withstand information fakes,” says Nerius Malyukavayachus. “Our main task is to understand how to make a lie slow, and the truth is fast.”

Not very convenient, but familiar

Experts put forward special claims to the Supreme EU for foreign affairs and security policy Federica Mogherini, who, in their opinion, has been in every possible way to avoid calling Russia for the main source of hostile information in every possible way. “If Europe wants to successfully withstand this threat, one must call a spade a spade,” the document says. Moherinini’s weakness in relation to Russia and some European foreign ministers are dissatisfied, the European site Euraactiv writes.

“No matter how aggressive Putin’s policy may seem, for European politicians he is a familiar partner.”

Dmitry Teperik is sure that the cautious position of both Mogherini and other European politicians, on the one hand, can be explained, on the one hand, by the naivety prevailing in Western Europe in relation to the regime operating in Moscow - "He is not very convenient for them, but familiar." On the other hand, with great economic interests: “This is North Stream-2 ( the project of the main gas pipeline from Russia to Germany along the bottom of the Baltic Sea. -NT), and the interests of other private companies in Germany, Italy, France, Holland and other countries. Therefore, no matter how aggressive to us ( experts. - NT) does not seem Putin’s policy, for them he is a familiar partner. ” That is why, according to Teriper, with such difficulty, sanctions against Russia are extended each time, and only Estonia, Lithuania, Lithuania, and the UK, have approved the “list of Magnitsky” at the legislative level in the EU.

How to effectively counteract the propaganda and information expansion from Russia is today almost the only topic on which in the European Union in the last three years it is not possible to come to a consensus, experts who signed the declaration notice. And the Kremlin, in their opinion, is already using this with might and main.

The special group East Stratcom Task Force was created in March 2015 to counteract Russian propaganda. The group is a division of the European External Relations Service (EEAS). The tasks of East Stratcom also include the creation of a positive EU image and support for independent media in the countries of the Eastern Partnership (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine). According to official information, the Stratcom team consists of 14 employees recommended by EU member countries. Their duties, in particular, include the information content of the EEAS website and a refutation of inaccurate information directed against the European Union.