Securing Democracy Dispatch

Russian diplomats and state media focused on two main narratives this week: 

• US-Russia Tensions: Russian officials and state media criticized or downplayed US President Donald Trump’s decision to supply more weapons to Ukraine and tighten economic sanctions against Russia and its trade partners. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov blamed the EU and NATO for continuing the conflict and “trying to drag the United States into a vortex of new anti-Russian sanctions”. Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of Russia Dmitri Medvedev called Trump’s decision “a theatrical ultimatum” and added that Russia “did not care”. Attempting to undermine the US President, Russian propagandist Vladimir Solovyov declared that Trump broke three main campaign promises and claimed that he has lost numerous supporters. Meanwhile, TASS cited US political strategist Steve Bannon, who warned that the war in Ukraine “could spiral out of control” as a result. Sputnik, however, dismissed the importance of new weapons shipments to Ukraine, boasting that Russian forces turned previous US weapons shipments into “scrap metal”.  
• Attacks on Lindsey Graham: Russian propaganda outlets attacked US Senator Lindsey Graham after he announced new weapons transfers to Ukraine and threatened Russia’s partners with a “sledgehammer” of tariffs. Sputnik amplified controversial US blogger and former CIA analyst Larry Johnson, who purported that Graham was on a “Ukrainian oligarch’s payroll” and received some of the “stolen American aid” to Ukraine. RT quoted American conservative talk-radio host Steve Gill, who also claimed that Graham profited from the war. Afshin Rattansi, the host of RT’s Going Underground, elaborated that Graham was happy about Trump’s threats against Russia due to future gains from the Ukraine’s rare earth minerals deal. Sputnik Mundo speculated that Graham capitalized on the war not only in Ukraine, but also in Syria, Libya, and Gaza, and that he called for the invasion of Venezuela to benefit from its rich oil resources. Alexei Pushkov, a member of the Federation Council of Russia, also criticized the Trump administration for supporting Graham, saying that the White House had been “drawn into the ‘Washington swamp’” and that Trump was becoming a “second Biden”, referring to Trump’s predecessor. 

The People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) diplomats and state media focused on two main narratives this week: 

• US Tariffs: PRC messaging continued to portray US tariffs as blunt, brutal, and disruptive. China Daily commented that threatened tariffs on the EU risked “deepening global trade tensions and hurting economic stability”, while CGTN highlighted European anger and potential countermeasures. The PRC Ministry of Foreign Affairs implied that Trump’s threatened tariffs on Brazil were “a tool of coercion, bullying or interference”. Furthermore, state-media outlets detailed the degradation of the US-Brazil relationship. A CGTN commentator and CGTN Africa both amplified Trump’s joke about “treat[ing] Africa great with tariffs”. The PRC Embassy in Kenya contrasted Beijing’s zero-tariff access for many African countries with “some who raise tariffs and build walls”. The Consul General in Belfast, Northern Ireland contrasted PRC and US tariffs on developing countries as the “symbiotic world vs. the law of the jungle”. 
• US Floods: PRC state media outlets also continued to cover the flash floods in Texas and their aftermath. CGTN America interviewed survivors “picking up the pieces, many…without homes” and highlighted “the harrowing loss” they experienced. Xinhua described US officials’ response as “a masterclass in blame-shifting”, the Consul General in Osaka, Japan amplified criticism of Texan authorities, and the Global Times relayed Trump’s attacks on journalists who asked questions about the handling of the disaster. CGTN America and CGTN-affiliate Frontline emphasized the role of Latin American volunteers and Mexican first responders who joined in the rescue efforts. CGTN Europe shared striking images of houses being swept away by floods in New Mexico on Facebook, TikTok, X, and Instagram.  

Iranian diplomats and state media focused on one main narrative this week: 

• UN Sanctions: Iranian officials and state media sharply responded to France, Germany, and the United Kingdom’s decision to restore UN sanctions on Iran if no concrete progress on a nuclear deal is made by the end of August. Iran’s Foreign Minister Sayed Abbas Araghchi likened the activation of the “snapback mechanism” under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) to a “military attack” and warned such an action would mean “the end” of Europe’s role in Iran’s nuclear dossier and, perhaps, of Tehran’s relations with Europe. Similarly, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson dismissed the mechanism’s legitimacy and threatened that any activation of it will be met with an “appropriate response”. Iranian state media echoed the government’s disapproval of Europe’s threats. Tasmin News accused Europe of “double standards”, portraying itself as “a champion of nuclear non-proliferation” while concealing its own failures to uphold the JCPOA. Press TV blamed the United States and Europe for “killing” the JCPOA and published an explainer that suggested that the restoration of sanctions could lead to future strikes against Iran.  

Kremlin-linked influence campaign spoofs identities of real journalists: The Kremlin-linked influence group Storm-1516 impersonated legitimate reporters—using their names and photos—to publish articles with false claims targeting France, Armenia, Germany, Moldova, and Norway on inauthentic news websites. The false claims included allegations that Moldova’s president embezzled USAID funding and that a French nuclear company was financing Armenia’s prime minister. Open-Source Intelligence Analyst Larissa Doroshenko tells the Dispatch, “This is a substantial evolution in Storm-1516’s development. With the impersonation of news media, their disruptive messages hide behind the purported reputation of high-quality journalism. General audiences are usually less familiar with individual reporters than with the news outlet where they work. This makes such personification potentially more effective and dangerous. If readers want to check their sources, they might conclude that a legitimate journalist indeed authored a subversive story. This tactic aims to undermine public trust not only in political establishments, which are an obvious target, but also in news media and journalists.” 

International operation disrupts infamous pro-Russian hacking group: An international law-enforcement operation disrupted more than 100 servers worldwide connected to a Russian-aligned hacking group responsible for attacks on public infrastructure and government websites in Europe and Israel; the operation also led to two arrests, issued seven warrants, and 24 house searches across multiple jurisdictions. Managing Director David Salvo says, “Allies and partners working in concert to disrupt malicious cyber networks is essential. This operation to disrupt NoName057 makes me reflect on what’s happening in Washington. As the Trump administration pulls back from coordinated US government action against foreign malign influence operations, what happens if Russian state-aligned hackers suddenly turn up the heat against US interests, perhaps in response to more forceful US sanctions? NoName057 mostly targets civilian sectors—everything from health care institutions to banks—and we know from a long history of Russian malign influence operations—and its war against Ukraine—that Russian state actors target civilian infrastructure. Will the United States be in a position to work with allies and partners to respond?” 

In Case You Missed It 

• The EU will open a hub to detect and combat Russian information manipulation in Moldova and Ukraine, including by monitoring information threats to Moldova’s parliamentary election in September; the EU also sanctioned several individuals and entities for actions to destabilize Moldova’s democracy, including vote-buying. 
• A network of inauthentic X accounts linked to the PRC have been spreading content in support of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who was arrested by the International Court of Justice earlier this year, and against current President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., amid heightened political tensions in the country. 
• US officials at the Departments of State and Commerce have been assessing Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) programs’ ability to mold their output to the Chinese Communist Party’s official line. 
• French prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into allegations that X altered its algorithms for the purpose of foreign interference in the country. 
• Czechia banned government use of all services by the Chinese AI company DeepSeek following a warning by the country’s cybersecurity agency detailing security and data risks. 
• Spain awarded Chinese company Huawei a €12.3 million contract to store and manage the country’s intelligence wiretaps despite national-security concerns. 

The views expressed in GMF publications and commentary are the views of the author alone.