MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd May, 2021) The United Kingdom intends to launch next week an international mechanism to combat Russia's alleged efforts to spread disinformation and pro-Moscow propaganda in media outlets, The Sunday Times newspaper reported.
Next week, UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab is expected to chair an in-person meeting of G7 foreign ministers, where he will present the results of a recent study funded by the UK Foreign Office, the newspaper reported. The research has established that "pro-Russian trolls" use UK media outlets to promote pro-Moscow views in comment sections and create an illusion that the public supports Russia's behavior in the international arena.
The statements made by these pro-Moscow actors are then allegedly used by Russian state media as a basis for materials about Western public opinion, The Sunday Times reported, adding that the same is done with leading media outlets in a number of countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States.
According to the newspaper, during a meeting on May 4, the ministers may agree to create a so-called new rapid response alliance to combat "Russian propaganda," which would mean that Western countries can unite to denounce Russia or other countries, whether it concerns disinformation, cyberattacks or other flagrant violations of international law.
Later in the day, Russian lawmaker Elena Panina commented to Sputnik that the claims made by the UK researchers are "laughable" and "deliberately ridiculous," but those behind them "have specific goals in mind."
"On the one hand, the new statement by 'British scientists' is laughable. Just to think that some 'Russian state trolls' allegedly praise Russia in the comment sections of UK newspapers in order to then reprint these posts on Russian social media, such as Odnoklassniki or VKontakte. Completely absurd, but this is already a tradition in London's political circles � to ascribe to us deliberately ridiculous, senseless and, at the same time, ominous actions. The same scheme is reproduced in satellite countries such as the Czech Republic, where every next Russophobic action resembles the plot from the works of Franz Kafka," Panina said.
On the other hand, the lawmaker added, those behind the whole "venture" have very specific goals in mind and aim to curb the freedom of speech in the West.
