the Spread of Russian disinformation and false news, is increasing in Sweden, according to a new study by the institute of Foreign affairs.
Something that defence minister Peter Hultqvist (S)), could also affect the Swedish election campaign next year.
In a new study published in the trade journal the Journal of Strategic Studies, researchers have examined the Russia foreign policy strategy since 2014 and after the Krimkonflikten.
the Purpose has been to document how and if Russia tried to influence Sweden in different ways, through false news, disinformation, forgeries, military threats and agents.
the Study shows that Russian foreign policy has become more aggressive since 2014, and that the dissemination of false news, and the Russian misinformation is increasing in Sweden.
– It hangs together with the annexation of the Crimea and the increased tensions between Russia and the western powers, ” says Martin Kragh, one of the researchers behind the study.
Particularly when the parliament would vote on the värdlandsavtalet with Nato, when Russia tried to create a negative image of Nato in order to get a no.
– It is the question that Russia openly declared that Sweden shall stand outside, and we have seen that there is an interplay between open and klandestina tried to affect this, ” says Martin Kragh.
However, according to him, there are no signs that it should have worked.
An example of false news that spread through the years is a telegram to former foreign minister Carl Bildt would become the prime minister of Ukraine.
"Can’t rule anything out"
In the Echo lördagsintervju says minister for defence Peter Hultqvist, who is himself mentioned in the study where he had been the victim of misinformation in the form of a forged letter, he does not rule out that there have been attempts to influence the försvarsdebatten.
– I can only conclude that in the context of discussions on värdlandsavtalet with Nato, so there was much misinformation in the Swedish debate, many of the pure error, ” he says in lördagsintervjun.
the Question of whether the spread of misinformation is the maximum of the current since a new american secret weapon that shows Russia was behind the hackerattackerna during the u.s. presidential election was released on Friday.
Peter Hultqvist says that he has no reason to question the data and say that you can not exclude the possibility that something similar could happen during the Swedish election campaign next year.
– It is very serious if you go into other countries and races and tries to influence and shake up the democratic system, ” he says in the interview.
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Calls for awareness
Martin Kragh he believes that today’s flow of information places greater demands on the awareness of both authorities, politicians, the media and private individuals.
– The open society’s weaknesses are also its strengths. We are vulnerable to infiltration and disinformation, but it is also our best protection as it allows the evaluation, monitoring and review of positions.
However, says Martin Kragh that not only is Russia trying to influence decision-making in other countries and the mention of ICE as an example.
– This is not a Russian phenomenon, but a phenomenon throughout the world.
"Dishonest and misleading"
In the study is also aimed criticism Aftonbladet as the researchers suggest, has published false claims about the Russian-Ukrainian military conflict.
Aftonbladet’s cultural section Åsa Linderborg believe that the report has serious flaws.
– The claim that we go to Putin’s case without any evidence for it. We discuss and write about Russia in a slightly different way, for example, we have drawn the attention of the fascist movements in Ukraine, which means that we deviate according to a Swedish context.
– Ironically starts to Sweden as Russia, deviate from the line to get a reprimand.
the FACTS
the institute
✓ Swedish institute of international affairs (UI) is a Swedish, independent institute and a platform for research and information on foreign policy issues.
✓ the Focus is on international issues with special relevance to Sweden.
✓ UI was founded in 1938 and consists mainly of researchers and editors with foreign policy expertise.
✓ the UI’s research based on independent scientific analysis and the institute as an organization takes no position on matters of fact.
Source: UI
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