Poland is urging the European Union to combat Russian disinformation campaigns in the United States by stressing the importance of the bloc’s alliance with Washington, Reuters reported on July 20.

Experts warn that Russian propaganda efforts in the US are increasing in the run-up to the 2024 presidential election.

Warsaw will present a document at a meeting of EU foreign ministers on July 22 calling on the EU to launch its own campaign to counter Russian disinformation.

“At this critical moment in history, it is imperative that we take swift and decisive action together to strengthen transatlantic relations through strategic communications about the EU in the US,” the document said.

Poland warned that Russian propaganda is aimed at creating tensions between the US and the EU. According to them, it is crucial that the EU counters this message to the American public.

“This means we must step up our unmasking and, more importantly, our ex-ante debunking of Russian disinformation and launch campaigns that make the facts clear about the current state of affairs in Europe and the benefits of diplomacy, collective security and an open society,” the report said.

According to the newspaper, online accounts linked to the Kremlin are spreading stories that denigrate the immigration situation at the US-Mexico border and portray immigrants as criminals, all in an effort to influence voters ahead of the November elections.

Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has made immigration policy a key issue of his re-election campaign.

Republicans in Congress also used border security concerns to block U.S. military aid to Ukraine for months, ultimately demanding tough concessions on immigration before passing the bill.

According to US officials, Russia has engaged in a large-scale campaign of digital disinformation and hacking during the past two presidential elections, particularly in 2016.

“We can expect much more to happen, as eroding support for Ukraine remains Russia’s top priority,” the Polish newspaper said.

Poland said the EU needed to appeal to a younger American audience and emphasise the value that “our decades of cooperation has brought to the American economy.”

The EU should also make the American public more aware of the scale of European aid to Ukraine “and how that effort is helping to save Ukrainian lives.”

Russia seeks to undermine support for Ukraine in US elections, intelligence agency warns

When asked whether Moscow would support a specific candidate, an official with the Office of the Director National Intelligence (ODNI) said they “have not observed a shift in Russian preferences for the presidential race compared to previous elections, given the role the U.S. plays with respect to the…