In a widely supported resolution, EU politicians also stated that more sanctions should be imposed on Russian media that spread such Russian propaganda.
The resolution also condemns that Russia does not hold itself accountable for crimes of the former Soviet Union. It furthermore criticizes the Kremlin for deliberately obstructing historical research and public debates. According to the MEPs, this is intended to revive imperialist policies and use history for criminal purposes.
The European Parliament strongly urges the EU and its member states to do more against Russian disinformation and foreign information manipulation. The EU and European governments must also quickly and thoroughly counter external interference. This is essential to protect the integrity of democratic processes and strengthen the resilience of European societies, the Parliament states.
To make the population more resilient to disinformation, media literacy must be promoted. Moreover, quality media and professional journalism should receive more support. Additionally, research into new hybrid influencing technologies must be conducted to be able to counter them.
EU politicians are not only focusing on Russia but also on the United States, where social media companies like Meta and X are based. These tech companies are relaxing their own rules for fact-checking and moderation. According to the European Parliament, this will aid the Russian disinformation campaign worldwide.
For this reason, the MEPs believe that the European Commission and EU member states must strictly enforce the Digital Services Act (DSA). Dutch MEP Ingeborg ter Laak (CDA) stated that the 'anti-EU and anti-Ukraine propaganda machine in Russia is running at full speed to justify the war in Ukraine.'
According to Ter Laak, Moscow is doing everything to break the morale of Ukraine. Last week, Ter Laak emphasized in a debate in Strasbourg that the war has already lasted eleven years. It began in 2014 with the illegal Russian annexation of Crimea. 'Ukraine is not Russia,' the CDA member said. 'Ukraine is a democratic country. A country with a European history going back many years. Vladimir Putin will not stop at Ukraine. Let us not be naive. Slava Ukraini!'