Austrian Foreign Minister Fears EU Loses 'Information War' With Russia Across Globe

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The European Union is controlling the information space on its territory, but is losing to Russia in the information war in other parts of the world, Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said on Monday.

"We have definitely won the information war in Europe, but we have not in other parts of the world. I myself have been to the Middle East, India and Pakistan. There is a completely different narrative, partly Russian, according to which the supply of grain and oilseeds cannot be carried out due to the EU sanctions, and because we ourselves contribute to a rapid increase in energy prices," the minister told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg.

According to Schallenberg, Europe should be aware of the need to "conduct educational work" in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia, and provide support to these regions.

The EU, the US and their allies have rolled out a comprehensive sanctions campaign against Russia since the start of the Ukraine operation in late February, including cutting off Russian banks from SWIFT and placing strict trade and logistics controls. On 4 June, African Union chair and Senegalese President Macky Sall called on the Western countries to ease the sanctions on Russia, saying that they pose food security risks for African countries as payment restrictions hinder their ability to buy grain, while the shortage of fertilizers amid hiking fuel prices may lead to massive crop failures.