Russia responsible for 80% of global influence operations — Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs

This statement came from Jan Lipavský, the Czech Republic's Foreign Minister, at the "Resilient Europe" international conference, as reported by the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"Russia is currently responsible for 80 percent of influence operations in the world. This is four times more than the rest of the world combined. We need much more determination in the fight against Kremlin influence than we have shown so far. The solution lies in strategic communication, sanctions, exposing crimes, and utilizing existing legal measures," Lipavský asserted.

Meanwhile, Karel Smékal, the Ministry's director of the Communication Department, pointed out that Russia's aggression against Ukraine highlights the need for stronger countermeasures against hybrid threats.

"The information space is a battleground of the Russian regime, and state communication is becoming an urgent necessity. I am glad that Czechia is setting an example," he added.

• On September 13, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced new sanctions targeting Russian propaganda aimed at undermining and polarizing free, open societies, with a focus on media outlets like RT.