Research reveals network of Canadian websites disseminating pro-Kremlin narratives

As Canada has ramped up its efforts against Russian interference, influence campaigns, and disinformation, Insight News Media has identified the Canadian outlets that share backlinks with the rrn.media domain, seized by US authorities, and the pro-Russian outlet Voice of Europe, which was at the center of the EU’s investigation into Russian interference in the European elections and subsequently banned.

The Ukraine and Europe-focused independent media outlet has also explored key narratives spread by pro-Russian news websites in Canada. The analysts found and monitored Kremlin storylines that frequently appeared in statements made by Russian officials and on state-controlled media outlets such as RT and Sputnik.

The identified Canadian websites mainly focus on criticizing the EU, portraying Ukraine and its Western allies in a negative light, exchanging mutual quotations, and citing Russian state propaganda platforms, including Sputnik, Russia Today, RIA, and the sanctioned Voice of Europe and RRN. 

• globalizacion.ca

• globalresearch.ca

• les7duquebec.net

• mondialisation.ca

• nouveau-monde.ca

• presse.fiatlux.tk

• vigile.quebec

   

French-language websites primarily target French-speaking audiences in Canada, particularly in Quebec. In addition, Russian news websites, under sanctions in the EU, such as ria.ru, also generate views in Canada among Russian-speaking audiences. 

They also share and cite content from Russian state propaganda outlets in French, such as fr.sputniknews.africa and francais.rt.com. 
 

• lesmoutonsenrages.fr

• reseauinternational.net

• egaliteetreconciliation.fr

• geopolitique-profonde.com

• lesakerfrancophone.fr

• resistancerepublicaine.com

• tribune-diplomatique-internationale.com

• fr.sott.net

Top storylines in pro-Russian media in Canada

In Canada, pro-Russian media outlets spread disinformation, Kremlin narratives, and anti-NATO and anti-US content. Certain websites routinely display quotes from Russian sources and connections to other Russia-supporting websites, while others feature comments made by authorities such as Putin, Lavrov, and others. Their primary goal is to erode Western support for Ukraine while advancing Russian narratives in Canada.

“Ukrainians are neo-Nazis”

Russian propaganda is attempting to discredit Ukrainians and pressure Western democracies to cut or halt military aid for Kyiv by accusing them of neo-Nazism, a longtime Kremlin propaganda point that has already been dispelled.

In this way, Russian and pro-Russian media diverts attention away from the fact that the Putin administration initiated an aggressive and neocolonial war against a sovereign state, in violation of international law.

The Kremlin is attempting to justify its military actions by projecting an image of a horrible opponent. Weaker support for Ukraine increases Russia's chances of capturing and occupying more Ukrainian regions.

• link: https://www.globalizacion.ca/que-falta-para-llamar-dictador-a-zelensky/

• quote: “Ukraine had been in the midst of a five-year civil war, triggered by the sending of army troops against the towns of Donetsk and Luhansk after they rebelled against a coup that ousted an elected president and imposed a dictatorship on the country.”

• link: https://www.mondialisation.ca/lideologie-neonazie-en-ukraine-pose-des-problemes-a-la-cooperation-entre-kiev-et-varsovie/5692947

• quote: “Since Ukraine has engaged in confrontation with Russia to protect Western interests, the regime demands endless aid, constantly maintaining the war effort to allow it to survive Russian military pressure. That is why there will never be any sign of “gratitude” for the help of Poland or any other country.”

• link: https://www.globalizacion.ca/ucrania-una-derrota-disimulada/

• quote: «In February, it will be two years since the start of the Russian Special Operation in Ukraine. Since then, Moscow has controlled one-fifth of its neighbour’s territory and has annexed the Donbas region in the framework of a referendum promoted by Russian-speakers who had been killed by the Ukronazi bombings.»

Shifting responsibility from Russia to West

Since the start of the full-scale war, the Kremlin's military propaganda has attempted to pin blame onto the West and Ukraine. Russian propaganda sites and pro-Russian media outlets in the West employ fake news and manipulative articles to accomplish this. In this approach, Putin's administration seeks to undermine the West's response to Russian aggression against Ukraine. 
 

• link: https://www.globalresearch.ca/has-president-putins-patience-reached-its-limits%e2%80%a8/5865408

• quote: “The Kiev forces of about 11,600 under the guidance of NATO troops have not managed to conquer the city of Kurchatov and its nuclear power plant. Apparently, President Zelensky used all of Kiev’s remaining troops, plus extra Polish (NATO) forces.”

• link: https://les7duquebec.net/archives/294403

• quote: “A more accurate name for what the United States is engaged in is the  Anglo-American-Zionist Empire, whose goal for more than a century, as we will analyze, has been the total conquest of the world.”

• link: https://presse.fiatlux.tk/2024/09/30/sakerfrancophone/les-globalistes-tentent-dintensifier-la-guerre-en-ukraine-pour-en-faire-une-troisieme-guerre-mondiale-avant-les-elections-americaines/

• quote: “Whether Putin is acting in Russia’s interests or not is not really important. The war was inevitable anyway because NATO made it impossible to avoid.”

• link: https://presse.fiatlux.tk/2024/09/26/egaliteetreconciliation/face-a-la-menace-atlantiste-la-russie-renforce-sa-doctrine-nucleaire/

• quote: “With the slow but persistent transformation of the conflict in Ukraine into a conventional war that could become high-intensity, Russia sees itself obliged to strengthen its nuclear doctrine. Not to strike Western countries, as Atlanticist propaganda claims, but precisely so that its nuclear doctrine can fully play its role of deterrence.”

“The West is in decline, a new order is being built by BRICS”

For many years, Russian propaganda has promoted narratives about the decline of the West and the transition to a new multipolar international order in which the BRICS nations, particularly China and Russia, play a crucial role. Such messages circulated long before the full-scale invasion in February 2022. In this approach, the Kremlin seeks to foment division and disorder in Western democracies, undermining trust in their elected governments. 

• link: https://www.globalizacion.ca/rusia-china-e-iran-constructores-de-un-mundo-multipolar/

• quote: “Thus, Russia, Iran, Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua and other countries can today be considered in various fields, not only in oil and raw materials, but also in economic-productive and commercial fields in general, an important instrument of opposition to the unipolarity of the US imperialist camp.”

“Russia fights NATO troops in Ukraine”

After promising to take Kyiv in three days and then two weeks, Moscow is seeking for reasons for the failure of its so-called "special military operation." The simplest argument is that practically the entire globe is battling Russia. 

However, only Ukraine's Armed Forces, which use some advanced Western weapons donated by allies, are fighting the Russian invaders. Only foreign volunteers who joined the Ukrainian Army are on the ground, with no formal forces. By misrepresenting the presence of French forces in Ukraine, the Kremlin establishes a justification for using threats.

• link: https://www.globalizacion.ca/por-que-la-contraofensiva-de-la-otan-en-ucrania-ha-sido-un-fracaso

• quote: “So far, NATO troops have only come close to the first line in the Verbove area, but it has not been breached. Imagine what it would take to break through the 5 defensive lines, each one more reinforced than the last.”

• link: https://www.globalresearch.ca/ever-widening-war-pcr/5866109

• quote: “The Kremlin has an amazing inability to confront reality. Peter Koenig explains that NATO has now invaded Russia by entering Kursk, and the Kremlin still pretends it is involved in a limited border conflict with Ukraine in Donbas.”

Conspiracy over Immigration

Immigration has become a top priority for Russian propaganda in its efforts to create discord in Western nations and incite internal disputes. Pro-Russian websites actively promote right-wing extreme groups that use anti-immigrant rhetoric to fuel their campaigns.

Pro-Russian propaganda websites in Canada have targeted Ukrainian refugees and Latin American immigrants. On the other hand, in Europe, pro-Russian propaganda websites predominantly target Muslim immigrants.
 

• link: https://vigile.quebec/articles/la-diversite-un-mal-non-necessaire

• quote: “Diversity is an unnecessary evil, a conceptual weakness, a misleading and harmful view of the mind, which spreads the limited third world in the advanced Western countries. 36 examples will amply demonstrate this.”

• link: https://nouveau-monde.ca/kamala-harris-et-ses-collaborateurs-preparent-des-pogroms-de-masse-des-partisans-de-trump-avec-laide-dimmigres-illegaux-et-dukrainiens-importes/

• quote: “Human rights activists from the Foundation to Combat Injustice have been able to establish how, with the help of specially hired and trained refugees from Ukraine and illegal migrants from Latin American drug cartels, Democrats led by Harris aim to unleash a wave of violence against Trump supporters in order to intimidate them, crush their resistance, and destroy the MAGA movement and its leaders.”

Is Lauren Chen a pro-Russia influence actor?

However, the pro-Kremlin influence extends beyond online news outlets. Insight News Media has also researched the activities of a crucial influencer. Lauren Chen is a Canadian far-right conservative political commentator; she has also contributed opinion pieces to RT, a Russian state media. 
 

On January 19, 2022, nearly one month before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Chen co-founded Tenet Media with her husband, Liam Donovan. In January 2023, Chen allegedly received a contract from RT to hire other commentators for this media as part of RT’s efforts to influence public opinion in the United States.

A US federal indictment published in September accused Tenet Media of receiving funding and direction from a covert operation funded by Russia to disseminate pro-Russian narratives in the US.

According to the indictment, Chen was allegedly compensated by RT to produce and post over 200 videos on her personal YouTube channel, without revealing the source of funding.

The indictment alleged that Russian state propaganda media RT funneled nearly $10 million to Tenet Media to create and distribute content favorable to Kremlin interests, aimed at amplifying American domestic divisions. The indictment specifically named Kostiantyn Kalashnikov and Elena Afanasyeva, employees of RT, as the main operatives behind the funding.

Lauren Chen has 585k followers on X (https://x.com/thelaurenchen). She praised Putin during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and after his interview with Tucker Carlson/

In another post, Lauren Chen called Putin’s actions reasonable, in 2023 during Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. She wrote: “What Putin wants actually seems pretty reasonable in regard to Ukraine, especially considering all the lives and resources lost as a result of the war and the US/UK nuking peace talks.” 

Source: https://x.com/TheLaurenChen/status/1726053059208315061

Russian propaganda impact on Canada 

According to SimilarWeb data, very few of these websites account for more than a small percentage of Canada’s total online news audience. This indicates that Canadian society resists Russian propaganda. 

However, the pro-Russian websites hosted on.ca domains continue to receive approximately 750 thousand unique views each month.
 

Moreover, Russian state propaganda media (RT and Sputnik in English and French languages) together with Ria-Novosti (banned in the EU) gather around 3 million monthly views, according to SimilarWeb data. This demonstrates the continued effectiveness of the Kremlin’s influence in Canada.
 

This research has been conducted in collaboration with the Espreso Global media outlet.