BRUSSELS

The European Union will create a new center fighting "Russian disinformation," the EU foreign policy chief announced on Tuesday.

Josep Borrell gave a speech while opening the European External Action Service’s “Beyond Disinformation: EU Responses to the Threat of Foreign Information Manipulation” conference.

He said “Russia is using information manipulation and interference as a crucial instrument" of its war on Ukraine, which it started last February.

“This is not only using explosives, bombs bullets, killing people. It's about the mind, it is about how to conquer your spirits,” he added.

In order to fight these phenomena, Borrell announced that the EU will open a new center that will gather information on threats stemming from disinformation and follow information manipulation.

“This will promote the sharing of information among all stakeholders about the root causes, about incidents and threats, sharing experience, knowledge, and analysis,” he asserted.

He underlined that the EU must have the right tools and prepare for a “long-range fight that is not going to end overnight.”

The 27-member bloc, as part of its unprecedented sanctions on Moscow for its “special military operation” in Ukraine, has suspended broadcasting activities and licenses of several news outlets it says are Kremlin-backed, including Sputnik and Russia Today.

“These outlets have been used by the Russian government as instruments to manipulate information and promote disinformation about the invasion of Ukraine, including propaganda, aimed at destabilising the countries neighbouring Russia, the EU and its member states,” the EU says on its website.