Most Urgent Issue: Finland Creates Group to Counter ‘Russian Propaganda’

Helsinki has created a working group comprising representatives from various ministries and government agencies to counter what it defines as "disinformation" spread by Russian media, Finnish Kaleva newspaper reported Sunday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — According to head of the Finnish Government Communications Department Markku Mantila, Russia is waging "a full-fledged information war" against a number of states, including Finland.

The working group strategy, to combat "false information," will involve experts speaking on hot-button policy issues at schools and enterprises.

Mantila criticized Russian media for "selective quoting" of Finnish politicians that, in his point of view, is so widespread that it is "clearly no coincidence." He also said that one of the objectives of "Russian propaganda" could be to weaken European Union unity.

Total Eclipse of the Mind

© Sputnik / Vitaly Podvitski

Relations between Moscow and the West hit a low point after Crimea's 2014 reunification with Russia and the escalation of Ukrainian crisis. The United States, the European Union and their allies accused Russia of meddling in Ukraine's internal affairs – claims that Moscow repeatedly denied — and began imposing economic sanctions.

Both Russia and the West have repeatedly accused each other of biased coverage of the situation in Ukraine.

Earlier this year, Broadcasting Board of Governors, a US government agency, requested an additional $15.4 million to expand its Russian-language programming and social media content.

At the same time, its anti-Islamic State campaign amount only to $6.1 million.