DISINFO: The East StratCom Task Force was established because of the increasing credibility of the Russian media in the West
SUMMARY
The East StratCom Task Force (ESCTF) was created primarily because of the increasing credibility of the Russian media in the West (while trust in the Western media declines). The exposure of the Russian “disinformation” is not based on evidence but on vulgar denial.
It is surprising that so far, Russia has not taken any action to fight Western, Polish and American disinformation. The ESCTF actively works in such countries as Georgia, Armenia and Ukraine, discrediting and attacking the Russian point of view among the people of these countries.
RESPONSE
This message is a part of a broader Kremlin’s narrative accusing various EU institutions of Russophobia and anti-Russian actions (EU Commission, EU Parliament, Eastern Partnership, etc.). The East Stratcom Task Force was established as a reaction to the post-2014 wave of Russian propaganda and disinformation aimed against the EU member states and other countries of the region.
The East Stratcom Task Force is a part of the European External Action Service, focused on the effective communication and promotion of European Union activities in Eastern Europe. It also addresses the Kremlin's ongoing disinformation campaigns all over the world.
EUvsDisinfo is its flagship project. It was established in 2015 to better forecast, address, and respond to the Russian Federation’s ongoing disinformation campaigns affecting the European Union, its Member States, and countries in the shared neighbourhood.
EUvsDisinfo’s core objective is to increase public awareness and understanding of the Kremlin’s disinformation operations, and to help citizens in Europe and beyond develop resistance to digital information and media manipulation.
The cases are public and can be accessed in the EUvsDisinfo database. See other cases about the EUvsDisinfo and the task force: EU findings on Russian disinformation about Covid-19 are Russophobia and Out of 3000 articles published by Southfront, only 3 contain disinformation.