Report
Lithuania Monthly: Kremlin-Aligned Media Spins Kursk Operation to Stoke Anti-Western Sentiment
September saw an uptick in Kremlin-aligned Lithuanian media activity, with Ukraine-related topics and anti-government narratives dominating the disinformation landscape. A particularly heated controversy emerged after television presenter Algis Ramanauskas made inflammatory remarks about Russian-speaking communities, which sparked public outrage and further fueled the narrative of ethnic tension.
Weekly Reports
Lithuania Weekly: Elections finally taking place
Last week’s media focus was on the Parliament elections, with many candidates adopting anti-government positions. Petras Gražulis, an MEP, posted Facebook reels criticizing the ruling government and promoting his nationalist party. Irma Gajauskaitė, a candidate from the Union of People and Justice, was detained after encouraging violence in a Facebook video. As election results began to come in, discussions about the transparency of the process surfaced, and anti-government narratives are expected to continue until the second round.
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Latvia Weekly: Disinformation on the EU Green Deal and Corruption
The content of the examined week focused on disinformation regarding the EU Green Deal and alleged corruption in the Latvian government. The Green Deal was portrayed as harmful to lower economic groups and Latvia as a whole, with claims of it being a tool for corrupt EU bureaucrats. Disinformation actors also denied the existence of climate change. TikTok saw the highest engagement across both Russian and Latvian-speaking audiences, while activity on X decreased.
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Estonia Weekly: Escalating Anti-Government Sentiment and Disinformation
In the reporting week, anti-government sentiment in Estonia surged, with criticism of the economy and claims that politicians, including Tallinn’s mayor, were breaking promises. Reports also surfaced alleging Ukraine’s use of disguised bioweapons and some Estonian media calling for the genocide of Russians, heightening social tensions.
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Latvia Weekly: Green Deal, Corruption, and Russian Language Policies
Attention remained on key domestic issues, including the Green Deal’s economic impact, corruption within the Rail Baltica project, and debates over Russian language policies. Opposition parties linked these language policies and alleged Russophobia to the country’s declining demographics, which they see as the biggest threat to the state.
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Monthly Reports
Lithuania Monthly: Kremlin-Aligned Media Spins Kursk Operation to Stoke Anti-Western Sentiment
September saw an uptick in Kremlin-aligned Lithuanian media activity, with Ukraine-related topics and anti-government narratives dominating the disinformation landscape. A particularly heated controversy emerged after television presenter Algis Ramanauskas made inflammatory remarks about Russian-speaking communities, which sparked public outrage and further fueled the narrative of ethnic tension.
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Latvia Monthly: Opposition Spreads Misinformation About Kamala Harris and the Equality Act
A member of the Latvian opposition party shared an AI-generated image alongside false claims about Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign. The post misleadingly alleges that Harris would pass the “Equality Act” to allow men access to women’s private spaces and promote gender reassignment surgery for young adults. These claims, however, distort the true purpose of the Act, which aims to prohibit discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.
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Estonia Monthly: Misleading Narrative on Baltic Poverty and EU Integration
Svyatoslav Knyazev argues that Baltic countries have suffered economic decline since joining the European Union. While the article highlights certain challenges, it fails to consider the broader context of Baltic successes, such as digital innovation and EU-driven modernization. Knyazev’s claim that “Europe is impoverishing the Baltics” overlooks key reforms, EU development funds, and geopolitical factors influencing their pivot away from Russia.
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Lithuania Monthly: Financial Misconduct Allegations Shake Lithuanian Crowdfunding Platform
Lithuanian crowdfunding platform Contribee faced allegations of financial misconduct after reports revealed that shareholder Gediminas Ratkevičius misappropriated over 130K euros from the Blue/Yellow NGO, which supports Ukraine.
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