Analysing international policy processes and Lithuania’s role in them
Review Apr 08, 2024

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

Photo source: Christoph Scholz/Flickr

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.

Read the full publication here.

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.

Dr. Nerijus Maliukevičius’ research focuses on information warfare, strategic communication, conflict management as well as Russian studies. He is the author of two books about Russian information warfare strategies. He works as researcher and lecturer in the Institute of International Relations and Political Science (Vilnius University). His PhD thesis focused on the potential and spread of Russian informational geopolitics in Lithuania.