Polish FM warns of Russia's 'full-scale cognitive war'

Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski has issued a stark warning, stating that Russia is no longer merely engaging in disinformation but is actively waging a "full-scale cognitive war" against Poland and the broader West. Sikorski emphasized that this conflict aims to dismantle Western alliances and undermine the success of Poland and its region. He pointed to Russia's substantial financial commitment to its propaganda apparatus, noting that Moscow allocated approximately $1.4 billion for this purpose in 2025 alone. Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia's spending on propaganda has exceeded $6 billion.

In contrast, Sikorski highlighted the EU's comparatively meager investment in combating disinformation, estimating the bloc's total spending at "merely tens, at most hundreds of millions of euros" at the EU level. "Let's have no illusions: our information ecosystem is under siege, and we are not yet sufficiently resilient," the Foreign Minister stated. He acknowledged the difficulty of fighting disinformation, particularly within democratic societies that uphold freedom of speech.

However, Sikorski stressed that freedom of speech does not equate to freedom from responsibility. He believes Poland and its allies are not the weaker party in this struggle but have perhaps been "too polite" thus far. The minister also underscored the critical role of social media platforms, describing them as the "most effective platform for spreading untruths." He expressed particular concern about the influence of these platforms on the youngest generation.

Sikorski observed that technology provides young people with a sense of belonging, but their thoughts and feelings are increasingly shaped by likes, shares, feeds, and algorithms. He posed the question not whether young people should have unrestricted access to social media, but rather "how to ensure these media become a safe haven for them."