Fortifying Democracies: Lithuania’s Comprehensive Approach to Counter Disinformation and Propaganda

Disruptive information operations by authoritarian regimes (Russia and China) have been the subject of numerous studies. We have built up a pretty good understanding about the characteristics, prevalence and the toolboxes used by malign actors targeting democracies. It is important to move into a qualitatively new phase of policy analysis and to assess appropriate response strategies for building civic resilience and strengthening the democracies in authoritarian neighbourhoods.

Lithuania is internationally recognised as a frontrunner in combating Russian information attacks. This is due to the country’s extensive experience of navigating complex relations with Russia – an authoritarian neighbour known for leveraging propaganda and disinformation to achieve its political objectives. The evolution of the sophisticated countermeasures in Lithuania is therefore informed by a history of direct engagement and the necessity to create innovative and effective response strategies.

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The policy paper was written within the framework of the project “Building Strategic Communication to Counter Russian Disinformation in Moldova”, implemented by “Expert-Grup” in partnership with the Eastern Europe Studies Centre, with financial support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania.