France asks EU to introduce new sanctions against Russia
Ahead of the upcoming European Parliament elections, France is asking the EU to introduce new sanctions against individuals and entities believed to be linked to Russia's campaign of disinformation and election interference, Bloomberg reported, citing a draft document.
The Russian Federation has repeatedly rejected Western accusations of Russian interference and disinformation, calling the allegations baseless.
The elections for the next term of the European Parliament will be held on 6-9 June, after which the composition of the European Commission will be renewed and a new President of the European Council will be appointed.
“France is asking the European Union to set up a new sanctions regime targeting Russian disinformation campaigns and interference in elections around the world,” the agency’s report said.
According to Bloomberg, the proposal has been supported by Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Poland.
European officials are particularly concerned about the EU elections scheduled for June, as the amount of content aimed at spreading disinformation on social media is said to have increased compared to five years ago, the agency's sources noted.
According to the news agency, the campaign team of European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen, who is seeking re-election, is aware of the possible threat and discussed the issue with US President Joe Biden this week.
Questions about alleged disinformation and the risk of interference in the electoral process were also raised in conversations between European Parliament head Roberta Metsola and European leaders, one of Bloomberg's interlocutors said.
