Michael McGrath: We must defend our democratic values together

Citizens in Cork and Galway are just as exposed to sinister anti-democratic activism as those in Vilnius or Warsaw, writes EU commissioner Michael McGrath

The Kremlin spends hundreds of millions on trolls and networks to spread Putin’s lies. Picture: AP /Pavel Bednyakov, File

Attacks on freedom almost always begin with a lie. Russia claimed Ukraine was a “Nazi regime” that needed to be “liberated” before they launched their tanks and missiles.

Authoritarian regimes have always operated this way. They distort reality to make their aggression look like a necessity. And today — in a digital world — it is easier than ever before. The Kremlin spends hundreds of millions on trolls and networks to spread Putin’s lies.