Russia, with the support of Belarus, is waging a cognitive (information) war against Poland. These actions aim to deepen divisions within society and undermine trust in institutions and democratic processes, both in Poland and across the European Union. These are the key conclusions of a report published in early 2025 by the Disinformation Task Force of the Commission investigating Russian and Belarusian influence. According to Civic Coalition (KO) MEP Michał Wawrykiewicz, attacks on Europe will intensify and will not be limited to disinformation alone, but will increasingly include cyberattacks and acts of sabotage. As a result, new tools and stronger efforts are needed to counter external threats.
“External attacks on Europe encompass a very broad range of disinformation and manipulation activities. They also include acts of sabotage, which we have been experiencing in recent weeks and months, interference in elections in European countries, illegal financing of election campaigns, as well as cyberattacks. There are many forms of these activities,” Michał Wawrykiewicz, a Member of the European Parliament from the Civic Coalition, told Newseria.
“Europe is trying to respond to external attacks in the most effective way possible. On the one hand, we have legislative measures such as the Digital Services Act (DSA), the AI Act, and other regulations that contain detailed legal solutions to counter cyberattacks and disinformation.”
The European Democracy Shield
One of the proposals to intensify the fight against these threats is the European Democracy Shield. This initiative, proposed by the European Commission in cooperation with other EU institutions, including the European Parliament, is a package of tools designed to strengthen the EU’s resilience. The initiative was discussed during the debate “Will the European Democracy Shield Protect Us?”, organized by the European Parliament Liaison Office in Poland and the Representation of the European Commission in Poland.
Actions under the Democracy Shield are to focus on three main areas:
- protecting the integrity of the information space,
- strengthening institutions, free and fair elections, and independent media,
- increasing civic engagement and societal resilience.
“The coordinated program of the European Democracy Shield is primarily meant to diagnose the problems and challenges we face every day in Europe, but also to propose solutions to stop what we are encountering,” says Wawrykiewicz.
“This means effectively countering disinformation and cyberattacks, developing civil society, investing in education, and building a positive narrative that presents facts as opposed to the manipulative disinformation narrative that unfortunately floods Europe.”
A key outcome of the European Democracy Shield will be the creation of a new European Centre for Democratic Resilience, tasked with pooling expertise and resources from the EU and its member states to improve the ability to anticipate threats, detect them, and respond effectively. The initiative also предусматри support for civil society development.
Under the new EU budget for 2028–2034, the European Commission has earmarked €9 billion for the AgoraEU program, which, among other goals, aims to increase democratic participation in political life.
New regulatory and monitoring tools
The strategy also announces the preparation of a Digital Services Act–related incident regulation and a crisis protocol to facilitate coordination among relevant authorities and ensure a rapid response to large-scale, potentially cross-border information operations. An independent European network of information controllers will be established to enhance fact-checking capabilities in all official EU languages.
In parallel, the European Digital Media Observatory will develop new independent monitoring and situational analysis capabilities related to elections and crisis events. The Commission has also announced increased financial support for independent and local journalism under a new media resilience program.
“It is difficult to give a clear-cut answer to the question of whether the European Democracy Shield will be able to protect us,” says the KO MEP.
“The mechanisms being launched under this program are a necessity. We must defend ourselves as effectively as possible against the threats and challenges we face. They will not eliminate disinformation entirely—disinformation exists and will continue to exist—but the goal is to fight it as effectively as possible.”
Cognitive warfare as an element of modern conflict
The report by the Disinformation Task Force of the Commission investigating Russian and Belarusian influence emphasizes that so-called cognitive warfare, aimed at influencing attitudes and behaviors at both the individual and population levels, is officially recognized in Russia as an element of warfare. The Kremlin spends an estimated $2–4 billion annually on these activities. This goes far beyond “simple” misinformation, focusing instead on influencing political and economic processes.
“Poland lies on the eastern flank of the European Union, so the operational activities of services from authoritarian states such as Russia and Belarus are felt here in a particularly direct way,” Wawrykiewicz warns.
“I am not speaking only about disinformation and cyberattacks, but also about outright acts of sabotage and terrorism targeting critical infrastructure. Unfortunately, I fear these actions will intensify and become even more severe than they are today.”
According to the Microsoft Digital Defense Report 2025, Poland is one of the main targets of state-sponsored hacker groups in Europe, ranking third after Ukraine and the United Kingdom. At the same time, Poland ranks tenth in Europe in terms of the number of users affected by cyberattacks. The report also shows that between July 2024 and June 2025, Russian cyber groups significantly intensified and expanded their operations, targeting not only Ukraine but also NATO countries, including Poland. Their activity against these countries increased by 25%.
“We should remember that operational activities by Russian and Belarusian services also take place in Western Europe, where we have seen drone attacks. Disinformation is present across virtually the entire European information space,” the politician emphasizes.
A growing threat to European democracy
EU institutions stress that authoritarian regimes seek to exploit divisions within member state societies, undermine trust in democratic institutions, and erode the values on which the EU is founded. This poses a serious threat to democracy in Europe and underscores the need for intensified countermeasures.
“In the coming years, the fight against disinformation, the spread of false and manipulative narratives, attempts to destabilize the European Union, and interference in elections will be constant,” concludes Wawrykiewicz.
“The European Democracy Shield is intended to prevent disinformation and cyber warfare conducted by authoritarian states as effectively as possible. While we cannot yet say how this battle will ultimately end, I hope these measures will significantly limit cyberattacks.”
