Foiling Russian 'Propaganda' Key Issue for US State Department - Official

Doug Frantz, Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, considers "countering Russian disinformation" as top priority issue for US Department of State.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The US Department of State considers "countering Russian disinformation" one of its main priorities and calls for more engagement with international media to address the issue, Doug Frantz, Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, said.

"I consider countering Russian disinformation to be a top priority that requires more U.S. Government engagement with international media," Frantz said in a briefing Wednesday.

According to Frantz, countering propaganda is not done by producing counterpropaganda, but by ensuring that journalists have what he defines as a voice for the "free exchange of ideas and to serve as an arbiter of the truth."

Russia's purported disinformation has "already undermined the sovereignty of Ukraine, but I think there's a larger goal, which is to weaken support for other young democracies along the Russian periphery and to weaken support for multilateral organizations like the EU and NATO," Frantz said.

Russia's relationship with the West has deteriorated amid a year-long ongoing crisis in Ukraine. The West has repeatedly accused Russia of undermining press freedom and contributing to the military conflict in the country.

Meanwhile, recent documents published online in early April by WikiLeaks showed that the US State Department reached out to Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) for assistance in convening a meeting of top media executives who could assist in countering Russian propaganda.

Earlier this week, President Vladimir Putin said that Russian media should be independent and warned against any attempts to use mass media to pursue personal goals.