US warns of Russian campaign to weaponise 2024 European elections against Ukraine

Britain, Austria and Georgia are having national elections this year alongside polls for the European Parliament

Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with Russia’s Government members via video link in Moscow (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Vladimir Putin is planning to wage information warfare to turn opinion in Europe against Ukraine this year as many European countries gear up for elections, a top US official said.

"Russia is hoping that the number of elections in Europe this year could change what has been a remarkable coalition and disciplined opposition to its war," said Jamie Rubin, special envoy and coordinator for the Global Engagement Center (GEC).

The GEC is an agency of the State Department whose mission is to counter foreign state propaganda, as well as coordinating the US government’s public communications around counter-terrorism.

With Britain, Austria and Georgia having national elections this year alongside polls for the European Parliament, Mr Rubin said Russia as well as China were running international operations to pass off state propaganda as independent journalism.

Mr Rubin said: "We do believe that the Russians will conduct information operations throughout Europe to try to change opinion on Ukraine during this election season."

Without going into further details on countries of particular concern, Mr Rubin said the key threats emerging this year when it came to propaganda were in Europe – home of many of the biggests allies of war-hit Ukraine, with European nations along with the US providing Kyiv with large quantities of military and financial aid.

Last year, the GEC exposed a Russian-financed effort across Latin America to spew propaganda and disinformation to local news outlets.

Russia claimed at the time that the allegations of the GEC were unfounded.

Another assessment from declassified intelligence said Moscow was using spies, social media and Russian state-run media to erode public faith in the integrity of democratic elections.

During the 2020 presidential elections in the US, intelligence collected by the US and its Nato allies determined that Vladimir Putin tried to help Republican Donald Trump win the 2016 election.

The Russian president also had a years-long feud with Mr Trump’s 2016 opponent, former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.