Italy Minister of Defense. Guido Crosetto. russian propaganda. war in Ukraine. Russian aggression

russian propaganda exploited a 119-page report by Minister Guido Crosetto, which in fact is not dedicated to the war in Ukraine. The report is titled “Countering Hybrid Warfare: An Active Strategy”. The Minister criticizes the passivity of the West, which often tends not to respond to “attacks carried out through disinformation, cognitive warfare, and cyberspace.”

It describes the methods of hybrid warfare that russia is conducting against the countries supporting Ukraine. Crosetto’s main conclusion is that it is necessary to shift from a position of deterrence to “a truly defensive posture (which in a hybrid context can only be proactive), both at the national level and within alliances.”
The report “Countering Hybrid Warfare: An Active Strategy” is here: https://www.difesa.it/assets/allegati/83696/non-paper_il_contrasto_alla_guerra_ibrida.pdf
Ukraine is mentioned only in one of the sections of the report. There, the document indeed refers to russia’s current strategic advantage in the conflict, and provides the following assessment:“…international support combined with the determination of the Ukrainian people and the resilience of its armed forces has so far made it possible to deter Russian aggression. However, the conditions necessary to reclaim the occupied territories or to achieve a significant turning point in the course of the conflict have not yet been created. Despite all difficulties, Ukraine bravely resists the Russian threat.”
There is no conclusion in the report suggesting that Western support will not enable Ukraine to achieve its strategic goals. On the contrary, Crosetto emphasizes the danger that russia’s actions pose to Europe and calls for a more active response and faster decision-making:“Europe continually develops tools and rules of response that lag behind the actions of its adversary. As a result, Moscow can hold both operational initiative (as the aggressor) and strategic initiative (by attempting to prolong the conflict). This situation further strengthens Moscow’s position, allowing it to gain political advantages due to the fact that Europe and NATO require much more time to make decisions.”
Thus, Crosetto’s position is directly opposite to the narrative promoted by kremlin propagandists: Western support for Ukraine should be faster and more targeted, not reduced.
It is also worth noting that, in parallel, putin’s intelligence services are spreading manipulations about an allegedly imminent Ukrainian military defeat:“…therefore, in Europe the number of those opposing substantial funding for Kyiv is increasing. However, the leaders of the European Union and the leading European states completely ignore the real situation in Ukraine. They cannot accept the idea that the hundreds of billions of euros invested into the ‘Ukrainian project’ have simply disappeared, and that their political careers are collapsing.”
However, the propagandists never name any of the so-called “experts” who allegedly express this viewpoint. In open sources, the only similar opinions come from long-standing supporters of such narratives, such as retired American but pro-russian Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Davis, who has been predicting Ukraine’s imminent defeat since 2022.
It should also be noted that the military-financial support of the EU and the USA is a key element of the defense capability of Ukrainians. It is thanks to this that the country continues to keep its economy from collapse and, most importantly, effectively destroying the kremlin’s terrorist army. And in October and November this year, the Ukrainian armed forces set new records for the number of targets affected in the rear of the aggressor, as well as live force in the combat zone. The Ukrainian army uses the available resources very effectively, which are almost twice less than the resources that kremlin allocates to war. So, Western aid is the key to Ukraine’s resilience and to reduce the military potential of russia. But for the final victory over the aggressor, of course, much more is needed.
Based on materials from Stopfake.org.
Read another fake: Fake: Zelenskyy “confessed to prepare terrorist attacks with Tomahawk missiles”