Understanding Russia’s hybrid warfare methods: Short introduction by Ambassador-Designate Peter Van Kemseke at the expert panel discussion organised by the Embassy of Latvia in Norway

Dear Ambassadors,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Let me first of all thank Ambassador Daudzvārdis and the Latvian Embassy for organising this event.

Dear Dāvis, your country is at the forefront of Europe’s response to Russia’s hybrid threats.

As a neighbour of Russia, you know the security environment first-hand. 

And as the host country of the NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence, you also offer part of the solution,

as you are a key hub for understanding and countering disinformation and foreign information manipulation.

So thank you for being such a strong voice on this topic, also here in Oslo.

Because today’s topic could hardly be more timely – unfortunately.

Look at the global map. 

In Moldova, Romania and several other countries, Russia has targeted the elections. 

In the Baltics, it targets infrastructure and jams GPS signals. 

In Africa, Russian-linked networks use social media platforms to spread anti-Western narratives. 

And we all remember the attempted sabotage attack at Leipzig Airport last August.

Different places. Different tools. And also different entry points.

Because Russia’s hybrid warfare does not knock on the front door.

It enters through many doors at once: 

through our screens, through cyberspace, through our critical infrastructure, undersea cables, pipelines and railways. 

The goal remains the same: to try to destabilize us, divide us, and weaken the resilience of our societies and democracies.

To counter this, we must act together — not only within the European Union, but also alongside our neighbours, first and foremost, our closest neighbour, Ukraine.

Dear Ambassador of Ukraine, Dear Oleksiy, 

Each day, even more so the past few days, we see the horrible impact of Russia’s aggression against the people of Ukraine. 

For millions of Ukrainians, war has become part of everyday life: 

enduring the sound of sirens throughout the day, and sleeping in shelters during the night;

watching how homes, hospitals and schools are damaged, and electricity is disrupted,

constantly fearing the next attack.

But we also see how day in, day out, the Ukrainian people are rebuilding their communities, even while the attacks continue.

They show us what resilience really means.

You can count on the European Union and our Member States to continue to stand by the people of Ukraine. 

As long as necessary.

And in this context, I am happy to announce that just this morning, EU Foreign Ministers adopted the largest sanctions package against Russia since the beginning of the conflict.

Ladies and gentlemen,

When it comes to fighting Russia’s hybrid threats more generally, it is clear that we all have a role to play.

Governments, of course. In the EU, we are drastically stepping up our defence spending. This year alone, defence spending will be 75% higher than in 2021. 

But also, independent journalists – and I see several of them in the room. Journalists are crucial to expose manipulation and disinformation.

Influencers on social media, where disinformation can reach millions of citizens with less than 300 characters.

And film makers and artists, because as we will see later today, images can say more than a thousand words.

Dear friends,

Today you will discuss a wide range of important topics, 

from supporting Ukraine ahead of the coming winter, to securing the High North and making our democracies more resilient.

These are topics that we will also discuss at the Road to Schuman event that we, together with our Norwegian partner NUPI, organize in Oslo on October 21.

I warmly invite you to this event.

And I hope, dear Dāvis, that your meeting today will also give us some inspiration. 

So thanks again for bringing us together today.

I wish you a very interesting discussion.

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