Gynen Venhari, Director of the Geopost organization, asserts that Kosovo’s state authorities need a specialized strategy to combat Russian propaganda and disinformation.
According to him, throughout 2024, Russia has employed a new disinformation narrative against Kosovo. He calls for caution during the upcoming election campaign for the February 9th elections, which officially began on Saturday.
In an interview with KosovaPress, Venhari said that for the past 25 years, Russian propaganda against Kosovo has remained consistent.
With the liberalization of visas for Kosovar citizens at the beginning of last year, Russian foreign policy, followed by Serbian policy, initiated a new disinformation narrative against Kosovo.
The cleansing of Serbs from Kosovo is being considered a new propagandistic tactic that Russia and Serbia have exploited for disinformation.
“The intensity of Russian propaganda against Kosovo has been consistent for 25 years, coordinated with Serbian propaganda. The characteristic of 2024 is that since January, a new narrative has emerged from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in coordination with Zahara-Lavrov. After the visa liberalization… they began with a new narrative claiming that the EU, along with the government of Kosovo, has a plan to ethnically cleanse Serbs from Kosovo,” Venhari said.
He also stated that Kosovo remains the most critical hotspot in the Balkans being attacked by Russian disinformation.
“In response to this phenomenon, state institutions must have a platform or even a special office dedicated to fighting this issue,” he added.
Venhari emphasized that Russia uses Serbia to destabilize Kosovo, and Kosovo must not only fight this dangerous 21st-century phenomenon but also create a platform or special strategy. He also called for greater caution from the media in verifying news, as Russian-Serbian propaganda has significantly damaged Kosovo’s image over the past 25 years.
As the election campaign officially began yesterday for Kosovo’s February 9th general elections, Venhari urged against societal polarization and for media outlets to play a crucial role in fact-checking and ensuring accuracy during the campaign.
“I hope in the democratic strength of our people, who have always handled this test in the best way. We are the most pro-democratic and pro-Western citizens in the Balkans. I raise the concern that there should be no polarization of society, as this is exactly what Russia wants, and they exploit it to the fullest. Media must verify facts and news thoroughly and maintain a correct reference for the entire campaign,” Venhari emphasized.
