Belgian ambassador: Decades of Russian disinformation indoctrinated our minds

For decades, Russian narratives presenting a distorted history of Ukraine were promoted in Belgium, and Belgians did not realize they were consuming disinformation.

Belgian Ambassador to Ukraine Luc Jacobs said this, CE Report quotes Ukrinform.

"Where the biggest danger lies in my view is disinformation that has indoctrinated our minds over three decades. It's very hard to undo. We have been targeted by the barrage of disinformation for decades without us really noticing that we've been absorbing a Russian narrative, without realizing that this was disinformation, as if it was a true representation of facts," the diplomat said.

Jacobs acknowledged that the history of Ukraine is not too much known to average Belgians and the constant flow of the Russian-centered narratives "has really done a lot of damage to our minds."

At the same time, he emphasized the importance of a "very sound counter-narrative" in combating Russian disinformation and stressed the need for media literacy.

"We should diversify our sources as well, we should compare sources, we should stick to reliable sources, but that demands a degree of mental alertness, which is a very healthy thing in these times. I do hope also that this is something that is taught in schools, that the new generation is taught to think critically, that we should not limit ourselves to our bubbles, we should have an open and critical mind," the ambassador said.