French President Emmanuel Macron warned of a serious threat from Russia, which, according to him, is waging an information war against Western democracies using a "secret army" of digital bots. He stated this in an interview with Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, UNN writes.
We would be naive not to recognize that a Russian secret army is already operating in our democracies. These are faceless digital warriors - bots that manipulate public opinion in France, Germany, and across Europe.
He noted that Western countries had long underestimated Russia's ability to influence democratic societies. Although Russia is economically weaker than Europe, its military-industrial potential is growing much faster.
"Russia produces more weapons and does so faster. We underestimated its ambitions and ability to destabilize the situation," the French president said.
Macron outlined that Europe is currently in a state of constant confrontation, where Russia is one of the main threats. According to him, the Kremlin systematically interferes in elections, carries out cyberattacks, uses migration flows as a tool of pressure, and also changes its nuclear doctrine.
"Alongside terrorism, Russia is the most serious structural threat to European security," he emphasized.
Macron stressed that democratic societies are particularly vulnerable to manipulation due to openness and freedom of speech. This, in his opinion, is actively used by Russia to undermine trust in institutions, influence elections, and spread disinformation.
Recall
Hundreds of anonymous TikTok accounts are spreading pro-Russian narratives and supporting radical parties ahead of the Czech elections on October 3-4. Czech authorities are fighting a network that is trying to interfere in the elections in favor of anti-systemic parties.