Russia has long been waging operations against democracies using all of the asymmetric tools ASD tracks—information manipulation, cyberattacks, malign finance, civil society subversion, and state economic coercion. The Kremlin’s geographic scope in conducting operations to undermine democracy continues to expand and its tactics continue to evolve. Find ASD’s work on Russia’s attempts to interfere in democracies on this page.
Bret Schafer Quoted in The New York Times: China’s Echoes of Russia’s Alternate Reality Intensify Around the World
Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Chinese state media and government officials have been increasingly echoing Russian disinformation and undermining Beijing's efforts to promote a neutral position. As Russia faces renewed condemnation for the a [...]
Implementation and Impact of the RT and Sputnik Ban on French Online Ecosystems
A report from the Alliance for Securing Democracy and the Institute for Strategic Dialogue by Iris Boyer, Zoé Fourel, Sasha Morinière, Bret Schafer, and Etienne Soula. Introduction On March 2, 2022, Russian state media outlets RT and Sputnik were [...]
Interference in the 2022 French Presidential Elections: Where Things Stand Ahead of the First Round
On Sunday, April 10, French voters will choose which two of the 12 presidential candidates will proceed to the second-round runoff. Most polls predict incumbent Emmanuel Macron to come in first, with far-right candidate Marine Le Pen or far-left can [...]
Bret Schafer Quoted in The Washington Post: China is Russia’s Most Powerful Weapon for Information Warfare
After Russian state outlets were blocked in Europe and restricted around the world on major social media platforms, Chinese state media and government officials have emerged as major amplifiers of pro-Kremlin disinformation on the war in Ukraine. “W [...]
French Voters Should Consider Election Integrity Issues as They Vote in 2022
ASD's David Levine and GMF's Gesine Weber lay out four questions French voters should ask ahead of the presidential election. In its 2017 presidential election, France withstood one of the most significant efforts by the Kremlin to interfere in a [...]
Chinese Disinformation Fuels the War in Ukraine
Chinese disinformation spiked after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. China uses similar tactics as during the Covid-19 pandemic, but the scale and intensity are greater. Chinese disinformation conceals Russia’s responsibility for the war and promotes R [...]
Kristine Berzina Discusses War Crimes in Bucha and the Hungarian Elections on Latvijas Radio 1
War crimes in Ukraine and the world response. Parliamentary elections in Hungary. Political scientist Andis Kudors and journalist of the Latvian Radio News Service Uģis Lībietis evaluate the current affairs. We are in contact with Kristine Berzina, [...]
Hamilton Toplines: March 28–April 3, 2022
Russia Russian diplomats and state media last week spread disinformation to discredit reporting on Russia’s alleged war crimes in Bucha, Ukraine. With images of destruction and death in Bucha coming to light as Russian troops leave the area, Kremlin [...]
Kristine Berzina Discusses Apparent War Crimes in Bucha on DW News
Alliance for Securing Democracy Senior Fellow Kristine Berzina joins DW News to discuss the situation in Bucha after President Biden accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of committing war crimes. [...]
Key Narratives to Watch Before Sunday’s Hungarian Elections
This piece was written by Zsuzsanna Vegh and Bret Schafer with support from Logically AI. Hungary is holding parliamentary elections on April 3 that will decide whether the Fidesz-led Orbán government continues in office for a fourth consecutive te [...]
Zack Cooper Breaks Down EU-China Summit on CNBC
Zack Cooper of the German Marshall Fund of the United States says China is probably overestimating the degree to which Europe sees a need to engage “in a productive way” with it, especially when it comes to the Russia-Ukraine war. [...]
Zack Cooper Discusses the State of China-Russia Relations on Fox Business
During an interview on "Mornings with Maria," Zack Cooper of the Alliance for Securing Democracy argued that the relationship between China and Russia is "as strong as ever." [...]