Putin is winning the new Cold War. It’s time to go on the offensive

Only by giving Putin a taste of his own medicine can Washington compete against Moscow in the information space

The US government this week revealed – in a treasure trove of never before seen material – the scale of covert Russian plots to influence America’s upcoming presidential election.
As Russian tanks and jets wage war in Ukraine, Moscow is employing other, more covert forms of warfare to take the fight to the West in the hope of a victory for Donald Trump and to reduce Washington’s vital support for Kyiv.
It is long past time for Washington and its allies to fight back.
But first, the details. According to the US Justice Department, Russian state media outlet RT, formerly known as Russia Today, funnelled $10 million to a US-based company as part of a “scheme to create and distribute content to US audiences with hidden Russian government messaging.”
The company, founded by former RT employees, pumped out content on social media, including by contracted American pundits. As an example, the company allegedly contracted an American commentator to accuse Ukraine of orchestrating a terror attack in Moscow that was actually committed by ISIS. The US government also accused RaHDit, a hacker group run by former and current Russian intelligence officials, of disseminating and amplifying RT disinformation and propaganda.
Separately, the Justice Department revealed that the Kremlin directed three Russian companies to “covertly spread Russian government propaganda” aimed at undermining support for Ukraine and influencing elections in the US and other countries. They used fake social media profiles, fabricated influencers, and impersonated legitimate news websites to spread their content.
As noted in internal documents from one of the companies, the Russians targeted voters in key swing states and pushed themes such as “job loss for white Americans” and purported crime committed by “people of color and immigrants (including new immigrants from Ukraine).”
This is not a new phenomenon. During the Cold War, Soviet operatives routinely conducted covert “active measures” aimed at weakening or influencing the United States and other foreign countries. Nowadays, Moscow draws on a similar playbook, updated for the age of social media, which can spread Russian disinformation faster and in a more targeted manner.
US intelligence views Russia as the “predominant threat to US elections.” Amid increased scrutiny on Russian disinformation, it says Moscow “is working to better hide its hand, enhance its reach, and create content that resonates more with US audiences.” In addition to using front companies and bogus social media accounts, the Russians have employed artificial intelligence to create deep fakes and boost their social media bots.
Of course, Russia is not only interested in US elections. Earlier this year, Moscow once again attempted to interfere in the UK and EU political realm. The United States, Britain, and Canada all accused Russia of trying to interfere in Moldova’s upcoming presidential election in October; Moscow will also likely interfere with the elections in Georgia scheduled for that same month.
The revanchist Kremlin has worked diligently to capitalise on political, cultural, and socioeconomic divides in Western countries. In the US, the Russians exploit issues such as abortion, gun control, and migration, and the Israel-Palestine crisis, aiming to weaken the West while boosting preferred candidates and undermining Western support for Ukraine. China and other authoritarian adversaries are learning from Russia’s experience, increasing the threat to Western democracies.
Since Russia’s interference in the 2016 US presidential election, Washington has taken measures to safeguard American electoral processes and expose Russian influence operations.
This is a good first step — but it’s not enough. The US and its allies also need to go on the offensive. Western countries should conduct information operations that harness the truth to fuel opposition to Putin within Russia and other countries. These operations should not try to sell the American Dream but should rather play to messages that will resonate with their target audiences. For example, Western information operations could target ethnic minority groups in Russia that face systemic repression and have suffered disproportionate casualties for Putin’s war in Ukraine. The West should also challenge Moscow in the Global South, where Russian propaganda is often more popular than Western media.
Information operations are a key way Russia seeks to weaken America and its Western allies. It is high time for the US government to catch up and modernise its own information warfare playbook.
Only by giving Putin a taste of his own medicine can Washington compete against Moscow in the information space. 
Dr Ivana Stradner is a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies in Washington DC