The Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, has reappeared on the pages of that part of the Macedonian media dedicated to spreading Russian propaganda narratives in the Macedonian information space.
According to the treatment and frequency of reporting of Peskov’s statements in some Macedonian media, one gets the impression that either the Kremlin spokesman is also the spokesperson for the government of North Macedonia, or North Macedonia is a semi-autonomous region in the Russian Federation.
Almost every statement by the Kremlin spokesman is placed uncritically on these media, regardless of what implementation it has on the pro-European orientation of North Macedonia, which, surprisingly, despite numerous (internal and external) obstacles with this government, still persists.
Namely, some Macedonian media outlets synchronously, with identical text and title, published statement of Peskov: Moscow sees that Europe is preparing for war with Russia, given in an interview with the newspaper Life, and reported, of course, by the Russian state-run news agency RIA Novosti.
It is pointless to repeat that RIA Novosti is banned from rebroadcasting in North Macedonia.
The CIVIL Hybrid Threat Monitoring Team (CHTM) notes that the increased frequency of Russian propaganda narratives in some Macedonian media outlets before and during the elections has not diminished even after their completion. They are especially intensified after the negative report of the EC on the country’s progress in the process of accession to the EU, but also in neighboring Serbia, which can be concluded from the part of the text that states that Moscow shares the assessment of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, who, after also receiving the most negative report from the EC on Serbia, began to declare that Europe is clearly preparing for war with Russia, and Peskov’s statement is added that “Moscow’s vision coincides with that of Belgrade and strong pro-militaristic feelings really prevail in Europe”.
The transmission of Peskov’s statements is not only part of Russian propaganda narratives, but also reflects the direction that these media, together with some of the political actors in the country, are tracing towards the “Serbian-Russian” world.
Taking advantage of the current “vacuum” created by the stalemate in EU membership negotiations, this pro-Russian media group, with the constant, repetitive placement of Russian propaganda narratives, aims to instill doubt and dissuade citizens from supporting NATO and the EU, and to direct them towards the narratives of certain political options and their external sponsors, that membership in the Euro-Atlantic alliances is not crucial for the future of North Macedonia, but that there are other, “better” alternatives coming from the east.
As a reminder, the EU report notes that “North Macedonia remains subject to hostile foreign influence operations, including efforts to divide the country’s social fabric and exploit anti-European sentiment, particularly through tabloids and Serbian-language media, which function as regional amplifiers of the Kremlin’s narratives and enjoy significant influence,” from which the Skopje-Belgrade-Budapest-Moscow axis undoubtedly emerges.
Indeed, the CIVIL Hybrid Threat Monitoring Team, through a series of CIVIL Hybrid Warfare Early Warning Reports produced within the framework of the Democratic Navigator project, has already warned of North Macedonia’s strategic vulnerability to Russian hybrid operations and provided recommendations for strengthening institutional and civilian resilience to such threats.
Dragan Mishev, in collaboration with the CIVIL Hybrid Threat Monitoring Team (CHTM)