France accuses Russia of using influencers for propaganda

This was reported by European Pravda, citing AFP.

Barrot stated that Russia is targeting influencers in EU countries, using "varied and constantly evolving" methods.

"For example, the recent elections in Moldova and Romania showed how heavily influencers, especially on platforms like Twitter (X, - ed.), were used to disrupt the vote," the minister said.

He added that France has evidence of Russian attempts to influence content creators across Europe.

Read also: How pro-Russian propaganda stirs internal conflicts in EU: key narratives

"About 20 influencers, including nine from France, are believed to have accepted these offers. The investigation is ongoing, and we urge creators and their audiences to stay alert to these threats to our public discourse," Barrot warned.

Earlier, Le Monde reported that Kremlin-linked groups approached over 2,000 influencers, offering them deals to promote Russian propaganda. According to a security services source, around 20 creators from France, Spain, Germany, Italy, and the UK agreed to participate, sharing videos aligned with Moscow's narrative.

• Marina Kaljurand, a European Parliament member from Estonia and former foreign minister, emphasized the need to teach young people how to critically analyze information to counter Russian propaganda.