EUCOM commander: US needs stronger response to Russian disinformation: The U.S. has not done enough to reinforce its own and NATO’s nascent efforts to fight Russia’s prolific propaganda against European allies, the top military commander in Europe told lawmakers Thursday.
Army Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, NATO's supreme allied commander in Europe and chief of U.S. European Command, said both should do more to confront Russian disinformation campaigns.
“I think we’re focused on it, I don’t think we’ve had enough of a response at this point,” Scaparrotti told the Senate Armed Services Committee. “We have to both as the U.S. and also as allies come together and take a more aggressive confrontation of Russia, particularly in this grey area.”
The general recommended bolstering two existing efforts, beyond the military’s one-off tactical efforts. The Russian Information Group, co-chaired by his command and the State Department, should be reinforced, financed and granted expanded legal authorities, he said. There’s also the State Department’s Global Engagement Center, whose scope includes countering disinformation from state and non-state actors, but “it’s not robustly supported,” he said.
