The coronavirus pandemic is creating an opportunity for foreign actors who seek to undermine Western democracies to advance their goals. From weekly reports that track messaging from Russian and Chinese state-backed media and diplomatic actors, to pieces that analyze the geopolitical impact of crisis, ASD’s work on coronavirus can be found here.
Hamilton Toplines: April 5-11, 2021
Amid heightened tensions in eastern Ukraine, Russian state media and diplomats last week reupped their usual narratives about the conflict: blaming Ukraine for the situation, suggesting that Russia poses no threat (but hinting that Russia could inte [...]
Jessica Brandt Discusses Russia, China, and Iran’s Information Strategies in the Vaccine Contest with NDN
Head of Policy and Research Jessica Brandt joined NDN to discuss the great power race between the United States/the West and authoritarian countries to vaccinate the world and be the ones to defeat the coronavirus. Related Reading: Influence-enza: [...]
Hamilton Toplines: March 29-April 4, 2021
Last week, Russian state media—and in one instance the Russian Foreign Ministry—continued to hammer the United States over the migrant crisis at the southern border, characterizing the situation as a humanitarian disaster and highlighting reports of [...]
How to Hold an Election During the Coronavirus Pandemic: Lessons Learned from Portugal
In January, less than two weeks before Portugal’s presidential election was scheduled, a new wave of the coronavirus threatened to overwhelm hospitals and led the Portuguese government to put the country back under lockdown. But unlike other countri [...]
Hamilton Toplines: March 22-28, 2021
Russian state media last week hammered the United States over its response to the migrant crisis at the southern border, suggesting that the Biden administration is intentionally downplaying and concealing the poor conditions. State media amplified [...]
Hamilton Toplines: March 15-21, 2021
Following the publication of the U.S. intelligence community’s assessment of foreign interference in the 2020 election, Russian state media last week highlighted predictable backlash and denials from Russian government figures, with a small amount o [...]
Nad’a Kovalčíková Discusses the Impact of Disinformation in Poland, the Balkans, and the EU with the Geremka Foundation
Program Manager and Fellow Nad’a Kovalčíková joined the Geremka Foundation to discuss information manipulation in Europe and possible policy measures to better address it, with a focus on EU, Poland and Western Balkans. Disinformation is currently [...]
Nad’a Kovalčíková on Visegrad Countries’ Efforts to Combat Coronavirus Disinformation in Euractiv
Just as the other EU countries, the Visegrad states are endangered by the amplification of manipulated information, and the coronavirus pandemic has only contributed to the problem. Combatting disinformation is a whole society effort that requires a [...]
QAnon and Anti-Vax Conspiracy Theories Pose a Threat to Democracy Beyond National Borders
With the advent of COVID-19 vaccines in Europe, there is hope for an end to the pandemic. But vaccination campaigns have come under fire by the mainstreaming of conspiracy theories such as QAnon and conspiracy videos like Plandemic, which erode trus [...]
Hamilton Toplines: March 8-14, 2021
Prior to President Biden’s address to the nation last Thursday, Russian state media covered speculation and reported concerns about Biden’s lack of press conferences, at times questioning his physical and/or mental health. They also highlighted an i [...]
Nad’a Kovalčíková Speaks to Euractiv about How Visegrad Countries Can Combat Coronavirus Disinformation
Russia and China, as well as Iran to a certain extent, have used the coronavirus pandemic as an opportunity to interfere into democratic discourse and to present themselves as internationally responsible actors, while at the same time undermining de [...]
Nad’a Kovalčíková on What the Coronavirus Means for Europe with the Martens Centre
COVID-19 has profoundly impacted Europe in the past months. Battling the multiple waves of this pandemic, all EU member states have faced many challenges. Simultaneously, the EU has had to grapple with long-standing trends in the world—both those th [...]