Dmitry Peskov, a spokesperson for the Kremlin, rejected European concerns on Tuesday regarding “Russian propaganda,” claiming that everything that disagreed with the dominant narrative was now being labeled as such by the West.
During a meeting on Monday, the foreign ministers of France, Germany, and Poland issued a warning about an increase in Russian propaganda in European nations in advance of the June European Parliament elections. Peskov was questioned about this.
During a conference call with journalists, a Kremlin spokesman stated, “It is evident now that any media or online resources that do not fit the mold, do not function within the mainstream of information, and attempt to report events from multiple perspectives, are instantly identified as propaganda tools.”
“This blatantly violates the principles of a free press and shows once more how willing the government is to punish media outlets they don’t like. In modern Europe, this occurs frequently.”
Western countries have frequently charged Russian agents of using the internet and social media to disseminate false or misleading material against them, to further Russia, or to try to influence public opinion against supporting Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.
(With inputs from agencies)
