Europe ministers say more resources needed to combat Russian disinformation online

Ministers from France, Germany, and Poland revealed on Monday (29 April) that the Russian disinformation network “Portal Kombat” has continued growing, with new websites targeting 19 member states and the Western Balkans, and called for more resources to tackle online disinformation ahead of June’s EU elections.

French security services revealed in February the existence of an EU-wide pro-Russia propaganda network, dubbed “Portal Kombat,” with close to 200 websites spreading disinformation about the war in Ukraine, and peddling the Kremlin narrative.

France’s foreign interference watchdog VIGINUM, the first of its kind in the EU, foundmo that the network has not stopped growing, despite EU efforts to contain Russian disinformation.

It created an additional 31 websites in March to spread pro-Russian narratives, France’s EU Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said on Monday at the Jean Monnet house on the outskirts of Paris, alongside his German and Polish counterparts, after a meeting in a “Weimar Triangle” format.

The websites, which can all be linked to a Russia-based server, “targeted 19 EU member states [as well as] the Western Balkans, Africa and Asia,” he added.

The revelations contribute to EU-wide efforts “to devitalise [propaganda efforts] and increase citizens’ awareness” weeks before the 6-9 June EU elections, Barrot said.

In March, Polish and Czech security authorities exposed the existence of a pro-Russia influence operation in Europe through the Voice of Europe website, which has since then been taken down. As part of the operation, European public officials, including MEPs, took part in conferences and panels organised by the website.

The European Parliament adopted a resolution last week calling on the EU to ramp up a response that is “based on a cross-cutting, holistic and long-term policy approach”: “Parliament is appalled by credible allegations that some MEPs were paid to disseminate Russian propaganda,” the resolution said in reference to Voice of Europe revelations.

More resources needed, now

Despite the urgency to combat disinformation, with EU elections just weeks away, ministers said resources and tools are still lacking.

“We must move forward with clear action, and a new sanctions regime [against disinformation content creators] as the tools in place to date are not enough,” Germany’s Bundestag member Anna Lührmann said.

Member states have also been slow in picking up the significance of online disinformation risks, the ministers warned.

“We are being hammered down by Russian propaganda, in extents we could never have expected some years ago,” Barrot said, stressing that the awareness of EU capitals is lagging.

Foreign affairs ministers of the “Weimar Triangle” already vowed to reinforce close collaboration on all things disinformation in a meeting back in February. This commitment should be expanded to all other member states, and quickly, Lührmann said on Monday.

Social network platforms, which help to amplify pro-Russian rhetoric, also have obligations under the EU’s newly agreed Digital Services Act (DSA) to take down misleading content and take proactive steps to limit the spread of fake news.

Barrot is due to meet with platform leaders to stress that all steps must be taken to make sure social media content is in line with DSA obligations.

France is also spearheading efforts to impose new sanctions as part of the fight against Russian disinformation. A new draft proposal, obtained by Bloomberg last week, would seek to impose sanctions on individuals and organisations involved in Russian disinformation efforts worldwide.

The initiative has garnered the support of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, and, most recently, Germany.

[Edited by Zoran Radosavljevic]

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