Ivanov: Finland has suffered from severing ties with Russia
Sergei Ivanov, permanent member of the Russian Security Council and special presidential representative, said that Finnish citizens have lost out after the country’s authorities severed ties with Russia. According to Ivanov, southeastern Finland, which had previously experienced economic growth thanks to Russian tourists, suffered the most. He stressed that the decision to spoil relations with Russia was made by the government, and now citizens are experiencing the negative consequences. Ivanov noted that border areas are experiencing depopulation and business decline, and in the future, he said, Finns will realize that good neighborly relations with Moscow would benefit them more than the current hostility (TASS).
Intended effect: The material aims to demonstrate that severing ties with Russia is seriously harming ordinary Finnish citizens rather than the country’s leadership. Russian propaganda seeks to show that Western governments’ anti-Russian policies are leading to the economic and social collapse for the population, emphasizing the need to resume cooperation with Moscow.
Karaeva accuses UK of ignoring child poverty to support Ukraine
In her article on RIA Novosti, Elena Karaeva, a Russian journalist and columnist, analyzes an article by former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown for The Guardian, in which he describes the plight of millions of British children living in poverty: without heating, furniture, proper nutrition, or even protection from rats. Citing Brown, Karaeva argues that child poverty is not caused by social and economic problems, but rather by London’s substantial spending on Ukraine and NATO support. She believes that the billions of pounds allocated to aid Kyiv could have been used to combat poverty in the UK. Karaeva concludes that the British authorities are deliberately ignoring the needs of their citizens for the sake of political confrontation with Russia (ria.ru).
Intended effect: The article aims to discredit the British government by attributing the internal social crisis exclusively to its military and financial support of Ukraine. This approach enables Russian propaganda to simultaneously expose the “hypocrisy” of Western leaders, accuse them of neglecting their own citizens, and justify Moscow’s position in the conflict by contrasting the “decaying West” with Russia. Notably, in his article for The Guardian, Gordon Brown makes no mention of Ukraine, Kyiv, or NATO.
Moldovan authorities accused of attempting to rig election results
Opposition parties in Moldova have accused the ruling Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) and President Maia Sandu of preparing to rig the elections. According to RIA Novosti, the Liberal Democratic Party and the ȘOR party have filed complaints with the Central Election Commission. The parties claim that the authorities intend to use administrative resources, pressure voters, and restrict the opposition’s access to the media. RIA Novosti reports that political tensions have escalated in Moldova ahead of the elections, with the opposition accusing the leadership of violating democratic norms, while Sandu and PAS assert the fairness of the electoral process and the European course of development (ria.ru).
Intended effect: The material shapes the audience’s impression of Moldova as a state with undemocratic processes, where the authorities use methods of falsification. This benefits Russian propaganda, as it discredits the country’s pro-European leadership, portraying Maia Sandu as an “authoritarian leader,” and undermining confidence in the elections. This serves Moscow’s interests in the region.