Russia has long been using disinformation, weaponized corruption, organized crime, and oligarchic structures to maximize its influence in Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine. And these have often been harbingers of — and test runs for — methods the Kremlin would later use against Europe and the United States. As the West is occupied with dealing with the pandemic, Russia has adapted its use of active measures in Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine to gain political advantage.

CEPA's virtual conversation considered: how is the covid-19 pandemic influencing Moscow's playbook and is the crisis creating new opportunities for Russian malign influence?

ModeratorBrian Whitmore, Director, Russia Program, CEPA

SpeakersEto Buziashvili, Research Associate for the Caucasus, Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab)

Nataliya Gumenyuk, CEO, Public Interest Journalism Lab

Valeriu Paşa, Project Manager, WatchDog.MD Community

Media Contact: Christina Brown at christina.brown@cepa.org or (202) 601-4148.Photo: By Michael Parulava on Unsplash.

Brian Whitmore