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Russian disinformation and cyberattacks could be expected during this year’s elections across Europe, said NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană in an interview with Romanian news outlet Digi24.
Geoană, a native of Romania, said his country would likely be one of Moscow’s targets, and the latter would likely support those with an anti-Western stance, though they might not be necessarily pro-Russian.
“It's an obviously anti-Western force that Russia and others are trying to do here, to encourage those who are not necessarily pro-Russian, but are anti-Western – and there is a line of deliberate confusion in that area,” said Geoană.
He added the fact that 56 percent of Romanians do not believe the upcoming elections will be free and fair – as per recent polls – remains a point of concern.
Geoană said the ongoing situation in neighboring Moldova could be illustrative of Russia’s hybrid operations.
“There is now a much broader definition of national security and allied security. There is a military one, obviously. There is also a dimension of economic security, of cyber security, of security in front of hybrid theaters.
“Look at what is happening in the Republic of Moldova and here,” said Geoană.
Romanian presidential elections are scheduled for Sept. 15, while its parliamentary elections are scheduled for Dec. 8. The country is also building one of Europe’s largest NATO bases, which will be the size of a small city once completed, as reported by Kyiv Post in March.
Presidential elections for Slovakia, Lithuania, Iceland and Moldova are due to take place this year. Iceland is not an EU member state but a member of the European Economic Area (EEA), which is part of Europe’s single market.
Russian Influences Expected in Upcoming Europe Elections: NATO Deputy Secretary General
