BRUSSELS — NATO has decided to limit the public sharing of information regarding its actions and support for Ukraine due to concerns that Russia might exploit this information for its own ends, according to officials from three NATO member countries who spoke to The Moscow Times on condition of anonymity.
As the NATO summit approaches in The Hague this month, where leaders are anticipated to agree on raising defense spending targets to 5% of their GDP, the alliance is wary that Russia is using its transparency policies to aid in propaganda and military planning efforts.
All three sources from NATO verified that the organization will cease detailing arms deliveries to Ukraine and may further limit public information related to defense strategies and deterrent measures to keep Russia from gaining foresight into their plans.
“Anything that is discussed or announced during press conferences appears on [Russian] Telegram news channels almost instantly. It seems they’re monitoring it more closely than our own media does,” remarked one official from a prominent NATO country.
The official noted the prolonged discussions among NATO’s defense and foreign ministers about increasing defense budgets and support for Ukraine, which have garnered significant attention from Russian state media.
The Kremlin’s media outlets displayed a keen interest in NATO’s meeting with Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, which was promptly followed by the announcement that NATO would provide an additional 20 billion euros in military aid to Ukraine.
“The news reports from TASS and RIA Novosti were filled with specifics about the talks,” the official pointed out.
Another NATO insider noted that Russian television examined statements made by NATO ministers in their main news broadcasts, framing them in a way that supports the Kremlin’s narrative.
The Kremlin is actively transforming even minor occurrences into scandals and points of contention, as evidenced by recent misinformation campaigns targeting Moscow’s adversaries.
French President Emmanuel Macron became a focal point of these efforts, first through derogatory rumors concerning his wife Brigitte and subsequently a viral video in which she allegedly slapped him upon disembarking from a plane.
In a notable instance, Russian state television, pro-Kremlin online platforms, and Telegram news channels propagated a misleading story claiming that a bag of cocaine was visible 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, what they saw was merely a napkin.
In light of these developments, NATO countries have begun to limit the information they disclose, especially regarding military support for Ukraine.
Germany has revised its approach, opting not to reveal details about the transfer of long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine last May and subsequently classifying all information related to military assistance.
“Initially, we shared everything. Then we questioned why we were doing that. We even enumerated the types of missiles and munitions. Ultimately, we recognized it was benefiting Putin, not the German public,” a German diplomat told The Moscow Times.
