The European Parliament has called on the EU and its states to do more to counter Russian “disinformation and propaganda warfare”, drawing an angry response from President Vladimir Putin.
A motion endorsing a committee report passed by 304 votes to 179 — members on the far left and far right were opposed, while many in the centre-left abstained.
“(It) deplores, in this respect, Russian backing of anti-EU forces in the EU with regard, in particular, to extreme-right parties, populist forces and movements that deny the basic values of liberal democracies.”
The motion also called for more effort against attempts by Islamic State militants to radicalise Europeans.
With East-West relations in deep freeze since Moscow responded to an EU pact with Ukraine by annexing Crimea in 2014, the Parliament’s report accused the Kremlin of funding media outlets that spread falsehoods and of sponsoring Eurosceptic movements in Western Europe which are growing in strength.
Mr Putin said after lecturing Russia on democracy, Europe was now trying to silence dissenting opinions.
