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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 9 March 2022
EU pledges to fight Russia’s “information war” in Europe

By SAMUEL PETREQUIN interfere in democratic pro-
BRUSSELS (AP) — European cesses,” she said. “Putin’s
Union officials on Tuesday propaganda machinery
defended the 27-nation wasn’t just switched on on
bloc’s decision to ban Rus- 24 February. It has already
sian state-controlled media been working in Europe for
outlets from broadcasting decades, attempting to
in the region as decisive poison and divide our soci-
steps to check a Kremlin- eties.”
led “information war.” Kaniete said online plat-
Speaking at the European forms and tech companies
Parliament during a de- need to suspend all social
bate on foreign interfer- accounts engaged in “de-
ence and disinformation, nying, glorifying and justify-
the EU’s top diplomat Jo- ing Putin’s aggression, war
sep Borrell brushed off crit- crimes and crimes against
ics who say the EU is threat- humanity.”
ening freedom of informa- She also proposed to re-
tion with the ban on Sputnik inforce content in Russian
and RT/Russia Today. and Ukrainian to resist the
“They are not indepen- pressure from Russia’s disin-
dent media, they are as- formation.
sets, they are weapons, in “In short, any tech platform
the Kremlin’s manipulation giving space to Putin’s pro-
ecosystem,” Borrell told Russia’s President Vladimir Putin appears on a television screen at the stock market in Frankfurt, paganda or complying
Germany, Feb. 25, 2022.
lawmakers. “We are not Associated Press with his censorship request
trying to decide what is true is an accomplice to Putin’s
and what is false. We don’t Borrell said Moscow-con- similarly twisted.” eign interference and disin- aggression,” she said.
have ministers of the Truth. trolled outlets are part of Borrell insisted that Sputnik formation are also propos- European Commission
But we have to focus on a well-oiled propaganda was created by a presiden- ing to establish a sanctions Vera Jourova said Putin
foreign actors who inten- machine providing biased tial decree with the aim of regime to deal with foreign wants his people to be
tionally, in a coordinated news about Vladimir Putin’s reporting on Russia’s sate meddling. “apathetic” and praised
manner, try to manipulate true intentions. policies abroad, and said MEP Sandra Kalniete, the streaming platform Netflix’s
our information environ- “If the information is bad, that Russia Today is capa- author of the report, said it’s decision to suspend its Rus-
ment.” democracy is bad,” he ble of conducting an “in- crucial for the EU to coun- sian services.
The EU has decided to sus- said, adding that informa- formation war” against the ter foreign threats in a bid “Because president Putin
pend the broadcasting ac- tion should be a protected western world. to prevent third countries wants the people to be en-
tivities of Sputnik and RT/ good. “If the information is Borrell said he will soon pro- damaging democracies. tertained, not to pay atten-
Russia Today in the bloc systematically contaminat- pose a new mechanism “Let’s call a spade a spade. tion to what is happening,”
until Russia ends its war ed by lies and twisted, citi- that will allow the EU to Russia, China and other au- she said. “It would not be
in Ukraine and stop disin- zens can’t have a clear un- sanction disinformation ac- thoritarian regimes have right to see Russians being
formation campaigns in derstanding of reality and tors. Lawmakers from the funneled more than $300 entertained, and next door
member states. their political judgment is special committee on for- million into 33 countries to Ukrainians being killed.” q

EU to harmonize criminalization of rape across the bloc

By SAMUEL PETREQUIN punishment. rape is being used “as a
BRUSSELS (AP) — The Eu- The proposed directive weapon of war” in Ukraine.
ropean Union’s executive unveiled by the European According to EU data, one
arm unveiled plans Tues- Commission on Internation- in three women in the EU
day to harmonize the crimi- al Women’s Day also lays has experienced physical
nalization of rape across out targeted support from or sexual violence since the
the 27-nation bloc on the member countries to spe- age of 15, although that
strict basis of lack of con- cific groups including wom- proportion differs widely
sent. The plans also include en fleeing armed conflict. depending on the coun-
the criminalization of fe- That topic has gained fur- try. In addition, one in two
male genital mutilation ther prominence since Rus- have experienced sexual
and cyber violence. sia started its invasion of harassment, with one in 20
The large majority of EU non-EU member Ukraine women reporting having
member countries already last month. been raped.
treat violence against The war has led hundreds The commission proposed
women and girls as a crime of thousands of Ukrainian to introduce a “minimum
but the commission said women and children to maximum sentence” of
there are gaps in national flee their country, exposing eight years in prison for
legislation. For instance, themselves to a high risk of rape, and five years for European Commissioner for Europe fit for the Digital Age
while rape is criminalized exploitation by human traf- female genital mutilation, Margrethe Vestager wears an outfit under the colours of Ukraine
across the bloc, 18 mem- fickers. with member countries and carries a bag celebrating the International Women’s Day
bers still require the use of Helena Dalli, the EU Com- entitled to impose higher during a meeting with European Commission Commissioners,
Tuesday, March 8, 2022 in Strasbourg, eastern France.
force or threats to mete out missioner for Equality, said maximum sentences.q Associated Press