Abstract
T hreats to the information space are currently undergoing rapid transformations – from blatant lies and propaganda to technologically sophisticated deepfakes. Democratic states, including Latvia, are being confronted with information operations as a part of wider hybrid threats. The aim of these activities is to undermine public trust in state institutions, divide society and weaken national resilience against external pressures. Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Latvia’s information environment experienced significant changes: when the National Electronic Mass Media Council of Latvia (NEPLP) blocked Kremlin-controlled media, propagandists regrouped and moved to social networks. Meanwhile, new technologies, and artificial intelligence (AI) in particular, have provided opportunities to create increasingly convincing fake images, voices and videos, which, in turn, have complicated the detection of false information. The aim of this article is to, firstly, examine the ways Russia, Belarus and China have employed information activities in 2025 to achieve their foreign policy objectives, secondly, to look at the current trends in the field, and, thirdly, to assess the directions the affected countries should work on to implement counter-measures to reduce the risks of external interference.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Latvian Foreign and Security Policy |
| Subtitle of host publication | Yearbook 2026 |
| Editors | Kārlis Bukovskis, Una Aleksandra Bērziņa-Čerenkova |
| Publisher | Latvian Institute of International Affairs |
| Pages | 83-93 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 978-9934-648-06-9 |
| Publication status | Published - 2026 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Field of Science*
- 5.6 Political science
Publication Type*
- 3.2. Articles or chapters in other proceedings other than those included in 3.1., with an ISBN or ISSN code