Africans support Russia — EU’s Borrell

The EU’s chief diplomat has expressed surprise at the high level of backing for Russian President Vladimir Putin among people in Africa.

“In Africa, people support Putin. They say Putin saved Donbass,” Josep Borrell said on Thursday, speaking at the NATO Public Forum. 

Borrell emphasized the need for a new approach to defense, focusing on information warfare rather than traditional military tactics.

“We need a different army. We need people watching the network and people explaining what is going on, reprogramming the listeners, giving them correct information, in order to prevent an intervention in electoral processes,” the EU foreign policy chief stated.

Borrell highlighted the importance of focusing on the information battle, conducted not on a physical battlefield but within the people’s minds. “We don’t need to drop bombs or deploy tanks; we need to disseminate news and occupy cyberspace. The EU is very active in this area,” he claimed.

READ MORE: Defense support, strengthening ties, countering Western propaganda: The key points from Lavrov’s African tour

In May, in an exclusive interview with RT, Chadian envoy Mahamoud Adam Bechir stated that Putin’s reelection was beneficial not only for the Russian people, but for the entire world, including Africa. 

Bechir said Putin had strengthened relations with Africa, adding that Russia is led by a “great president.”

Meanwhile, during a meeting with the Russian President on February 20, Agriculture Minister Dmitry Patrushev reported that Moscow had successfully delivered 200,000 tons of wheat to six low-income African nations, free of charge, making it the biggest humanitarian initiative ever conducted by Russia.