European Parliament resolution slams Russian propaganda

STRASBOURG, France (AA) – The European Parliament on Wednesday adopted a non-legislative resolution against anti-EU propaganda propagated by Russia and terrorist groups such as Daesh and Al-Qaeda.

A total of 691 lawmakers participated in the vote; 304 voted in favor, 179 against and 208 others abstained from voting.

The resolution was proposed by the EU lawmaker from Poland, Anna Elzbieta Fotyga.

“Propaganda pressure on the EU from Russia and Islamist terrorist groups is growing. It seeks to distort the truth, incite fear, provoke doubt and divide the EU,” the European Parliament said in a statement.

“The Kremlin has stepped up its propaganda against EU since annexing Crimea and waging hybrid war in the Donbass.

“The Russian government is employing a wide range of tools and instruments, such as think tanks ..., multilingual TV stations [e.g. Russia Today], pseudo-news agencies and multimedia services [e.g. Sputnik] ..., social media and internet trolls, to challenge democratic values, divide Europe, gather domestic support and create the perception of failed states in the EU’s eastern neighborhood,” the statement said.

It also accused the Kremlin of backing and funding anti-EU forces such as extreme-right parties and populist forces.

In October, the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs approved a report on combating propaganda which named the Russian media as one of the main threats.

It also suggested developing a narrative to counter Daesh, “including through the empowerment and increased visibility of mainstream Muslim scholars who have the credibility to delegitimize Daesh propaganda,” it added.