Supervisors info:
Μπαλωμένος Κωνσταντίνος, ΕΔΙΠ, Τμήμα Νοσηλευτικής, ΕΚΠΑ
Μπισταρακη Αγγελική, ΕΔΙΠ, Τμήμα Νοσηλευτικής, ΕΚΠΑ
Πεσιρίδης Θεόδωρος, ΕΔΙΠ, Τμήμα Νοσηλευτικής, ΕΚΠΑ
Summary:
Introduction: In recent years, Russia has implemented coordinated hybrid threats against the countries of the European Union and NATO in order to shake the faith of their citizens in the values, principles and institutions of Western culture. The ultimate goal of these efforts was to gain the support of the geopolitical, economic and geostrategic interests of the Russian Federation by the populations of the target countries. The European Union and NATO's response to these challenges has been strategic communication.
Aim: The aim of the dissertation is to present and analyze the effort of the European Union and NATO to address the hybrid threats of Russia, through strategic communication.
Material and method: The method of bibliographic review was used for the elaboration of the dissertation. The bibliography search was carried out through Google and Google Scholar search engines, databases, publishing directories. In addition, I collected studies published in print and electronic press and studies of public and private bodies and International Organizations such as NATO, the EU, the European Council, the European Parliament. The search for the studies was carried out using the keywords: a) "Hybrid war", b) "hybrid threats", c) "hybrid operations", d) "strategic communication", e) "NATO", f) "European Union", g) "European Parliament", h) "European Council", i) "Russia" in English, individually or in combinations thereof. The studies used to prepare the dissertation were published in English from 1 January 2009 until 5 March 2022
Results: Russia's hybrid threats against the countries of the European Union and NATO were aimed at disrupting the social cohesion of the target countries, by shattering citizens' faith in Western principles and values, and by promoting its geopolitical interests. The main target countries of the Russian hybrid threats were Estonia, Lithuania, Ukraine and the Baltic and Scandinavian countries. The European Union and NATO, in their efforts to deal with Russian aggression independently and in a coordinated manner, have developed a strategic plan centered on strategic communication. Germany, Lithuania, France, Spain, Finland and Sweden have used strategic communication in a relatively effective way in managing Russia's hybrid threats. The communication strategy of the European Union and NATO was in most cases effective, but there were inherent weaknesses that the two Organizations will have to address in the future.
Conclusions: Tackling Russia's hybrid threats through strategic communication from the European Union and NATO has most often been effective, either through action at national, Union level or in cooperation with NATO. However, the whole project faces significant challenges. In this context, the intensifying Russian aggression expressed in the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 necessitates the further deepening of the coordination of actions and the cooperation of the two Organizations, with the aim of improving the efficiency of the whole project and the better management of the challenges posed by the development of technology, low public awareness of hybrid threats, lack of a harmonized regulatory framework and insufficient mechanisms for the exchange and coordination of information.
Keywords: Hybrid war, hybrid threats, hybrid operations, strategic communication, NATO, European Union, European Parliament, European Council, Russia
Keywords:
Hybrid war, Hybrid threats, Hybrid operations, Strategic communication, NATO, European Union, European Parliament, European Council, Russia
