Russia is advancing a narrative in the European Union, through loyal politicians, claiming that Ukraine is an allegedly “artificial state,” in an attempt to destabilize and divide the EU from within.
Andrii Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation at Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, said this on Ukrainian television, Ukrinform reports.
“There’s a longstanding special operation around so-called ‘historical territories,’ as the Russians refer to them. Some parts of Ukraine supposedly belong to Poland, others allegedly to Romania. Through their agent networks and politicians who collaborate with Russia in neighboring countries, as well as through media dissemination of these narratives, they try to implant the notion that Ukraine is not a sovereign entity and will disappear from the map — because its territories supposedly belong to other states,” Kovalenko said.
This information campaign aims to bring pro-Russian politicians into power — those who promote these ideas and could ultimately lead their countries out of the EU.
“None of this is new — it has been actively promoted since 2014. But now, Russia is conducting an information war against the European Union with the goal of segmentation — promoting alternative-vision politicians and Eurosceptics who could paralyze EU decision-making. Eventually, this could result in certain countries leaving the EU and neighboring states drifting under Russian influence,” Kovalenko said.
According to him, Russia’s goal is to elevate the narrative about the “artificial creation” of Ukraine into the political discourse of these countries.
“This is a long game. It is extremely dangerous. Much depends on the strength of European elites — whether they will lose the internal struggle within the EU to Eurosceptics and Russian-supported politicians, or whether they will maintain the Union’s ability to make decisions for years to come and preserve the EU’s future,” Kovalenko said.
The Center for Countering Disinformation earlier warned that Russia plans to intensify its information warfare against Ukraine and Europe throughout the spring and summer of 2025.
Source: Russia waging information war against EU by promoting 'historical territories' narrative – CCD
