Russian propaganda and manipulation in connection with the election of Kaja Kallas as head of European diplomacy

The election of Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas as the new EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security, who is known for her clear condemnation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and her stance against the Kremlin’s policies, has been widely covered by Russian officials and local media in Russia.

The Russia Today portal (a medium banned in several European countries for spreading false information) and RT Balkan – in Serbian – attempted to misinform the public with a disinformation headline: “She eats Russians for breakfast: who is Kaja Kallas, the next EU foreign policy chief?” whose aim is to increase readership.

Analysis:

In the text titled “She eats Russians for breakfast: who is Kaja Kallas, the next EU foreign policy chief?”, RT published the statement of an anonymous official who told the Brussels portal Politico on March 4: “Do we really need to appoint?” “This position is for someone who likes to eat Russian for breakfast?”

“I prefer muesli, yogurt and blueberries,” Kaja Kallas tweeted. The Politico portal was tagged and provided with a matching photo.

Given that RT is a powerful tool used by the Kremlin to spread its narrative, this headline could also be interpreted as a disparagement of Kallas, which can be inferred from the reactions of high-ranking Russian officials to her appointment.

“Kallas is known for her absolutely uncompromising and sometimes furious russophobic statements,” commented Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin’s press spokesman, on her appointment.

“This is what we know and what we remember. In this sense, nothing has changed,” Peskov said.

Some Russian officials have suggested that the policy advocated by Kallas will only lead to further escalation. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Kallas’ appointment would “increase the madness in Brussels”.

/The Geopost/