An EU Commission spokesperson alleged, giving no details, that the Russian media and “Kremlin-friendly” sources push conspiracy theories about Covid-19. The news comes on the heels of anti-lockdown protests in Germany and the UK.
Not mincing his words, Peter Stano told German paper Bild am Sonntag: “Our observations show that various official and state-backed sources from Russia – the Kremlin-friendly sources and Russian state media – are spreading conspiracy theories and disinformation within the EU, which can potentially have considerable effects on public health.”
Stano said that Moscow’s goal is to “question the credibility and the ability of the EU and its member states to overcome the crisis, and to undermine public trust in local authorities.”
That said, the spokesperson did not provide any evidence of his allegations, and did not cite any examples of the conspiracy theories or disinformation he was referring to.
Bild am Sonntag contacted the European Commission for comment after several protests against the lockdown were staged across Germany on Saturday, partly organized by right-wing groups. Some of the rallies ended up in scuffles with police or between rival protesting groups. Similar anti-lockdown protests occurred in Britain, where police shut down a rally in Glasgow and faced off with demonstrators in London.
Demonstrations were also held in the US in recent weeks, where protesters briefly occupied the Michigan state capitol building in Lansing.
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