February 5, 2020

ICDS in the Christian Science Monitor: What Estonia Knows About Thwarting Russians

Now, as 2020 U.S. voting begins, Christa Bryant from the Christian Science Monitor visited Estonia to learn what could the Baltic state teach the U.S. about securing the 2020 election.

Bryant talked to ICDS director Sven Sakkov and chief executive Dmitri Teperik, among others.

According to Sakkov, Estonia is not easy prey for Russian propaganda. “For us, Russian information campaigns, information warfare, influence operations, fake news is not something that just happened in 2014,” he said, noting that because of its long history with such interference, the country is now “quite well inoculated.”

Teperik, who studies national resilience in the face of hostile foreign influence activities at ICDS, estimates that while only 7% to 9% of Estonian society could be destabilized on ethnic or linguistic grounds, it’s enough to create trouble. “Even small groups can dictate some general or major shifts in society, especially if these minor groups are backed or supported by foreign actors,” said Teperik.

Read the full article in the Christian Science Monitor.

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