Verbatim report of proceedings

Tuesday, 17 December 2024 - Strasbourg

Russia’s disinformation and historical falsification to justify its war of aggression against Ukraine (debate)

  Nela Riehl (Verts/ALE). – Madam President, 'Sigma Boy'. Do you know 'Sigma Boy'? If you are an eleven-year-old girl in, for example, Germany or even Ukraine, you probably do. 'Sigma Boy' is a viral Russian trope used on social media that communicates patriarchal and pro-Russian worldviews. It's most popular with young teenagers and only one example of Russian infiltration of popular discourse through social media.

Russia has understood how to embed these ideas in a society: target young Ukrainians on their phones, change the stories of Ukrainians telling their own society. Last week, Ukraine's Minister of Culture pointed out to me that cultural heritage does not only include history books and also museums, but Ukrainian language, music and also current Ukrainian influencers. Russia targets this all. Here, the EU must stand in strong support and target even these subtle infiltrations and falsifications.