Do not get intimidated – Edward Lucas to Lithuania

Lucas gave a speech at the Swedish Business Awards ceremony on 20 November. He said that currently Europe and the entire Western world are in greater danger not because of a conventional armed conflict but because of Russia’s hybrid warfare during which Moscow is penetrating Western political systems and institutions to disrupt them from inside: from funding foreign political parties to buying up Western mass media.

The columnist said that Western media in Russia has only the entertainment function and is not taken as a reliable information source. Meanwhile, Moscow spreads only favourable information about Russia through Western mass media.

According to Lucas, the Baltic states, unlike South-East Europe, are well aware of processes going on around them. However, Lithuanians lack self-confidence and Russian propaganda makes the best of this weakness.

“There is no reason to panic. Russia is the one which wants you to panic. One of the most important elements in this crisis is causing psychological panic because of poor preparedness in terms of defence. A robber is always tempted most when he sees an open door to a house, just like Russia is very much tempted now by its unsure neighbour,” said a senior editor of the Economist.