NATO Halts Transparency on Ukraine Support to Curb Russian Propaganda Tactics

BRUSSELS — NATO is reducing the amount of publicly available information regarding its operations and support for Ukraine due to fears that Russia might leverage this data for its own advantage, according to officials from three NATO member countries who requested anonymity when speaking to The Moscow Times.

As the NATO summit approaches in The Hague this month, with plans for members to agree on increasing defense spending goals to 5% of GDP, the alliance is concerned that Russia could utilize its transparency policy for propaganda and to inform military strategies.

All three sources confirmed that NATO intends to halt the disclosure of specifics regarding arms supplies to Ukraine and may limit the sharing of information related to defense strategies and deterrence in order to prevent Russia from gaining prior knowledge of NATO’s initiatives.

“Anything that is discussed or mentioned at press briefings shows up in [Russian] Telegram news feeds almost immediately. It seems like they are monitoring it more closely than our own press,” remarked an official from one of NATO’s leading member states.

The official highlighted the extensive discussions among NATO defense and foreign ministers concerning increased defense budgets and support for Ukraine, which have garnered significant attention from Russian state media.

Russian state-controlled media were particularly focused on NATO’s meeting with Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, which was soon followed by the announcement of an additional 20 billion euros in military aid for Kyiv.

“News outlets like TASS and RIA Novosti were filled with detailed reports of the discussions,” the official pointed out.

Another NATO source noted that Russian news channels have been scrutinizing the statements of the alliance’s ministers in their main news segments, presenting them in ways that are advantageous to Moscow.

The Kremlin is strategically aiming to amplify even minor events into major scandals and points of contention, as shown by recent disinformation efforts aimed at undermining its adversaries.

French President Emmanuel Macron has been at the center of these tactics, first facing negative rumors about his wife Brigitte, followed by a viral video where she supposedly slapped him upon disembarking from a plane.

In a notable instance, Russian state television channels, pro-Kremlin online outlets, and Telegram news channels circulated false reports claiming that a bag of cocaine was found on the table in front of Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer during their train journey to Kyiv.

In reality, it was simply a napkin.

In reaction, NATO allies are starting to limit the information they share publicly, including specifics about their military assistance to Ukraine.

Germany has already altered its approach, choosing not to disclose details about the delivery of long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine in May and subsequently classifying all military support data.

“At first, we were very transparent. Then we questioned why we were doing that. We even listed the quantities of missiles and munitions. Ultimately, we recognized that it was benefiting Putin, not the German public,” a German diplomat shared with The Moscow Times.