France alerts information manipulation in Bangladesh, accuses Russia

France finds "information manipulation" by some media in Bangladesh centring Paris's policy on the Russia-Ukraine war.

"Your people should be made aware about it," French Ambassador in Dhaka Marie Masdupuy said on Wednesday, briefing a select group of media including Dhaka Tribune.

She said French President Emmanuel Macron in a meeting with his Nato EU counterparts said that France would not exclude sending troops to Ukraine to support the country winning the war if a certain number of conditions were fulfilled - if the Russians were to break through the front lines, and if there were a Ukrainian request.

The ambassador said his president's statement was "intended at enhancing our credibility in terms of our intention to support Ukraine at all costs. Russia cannot win in Ukraine."

However, his comment has since then been reinterpreted, wrongly interpreted, she said, adding that they have noticed some videos explaining to the audience, Bangladeshi people, that France has already deployed troops in Ukraine mentioning the particular name of some regiment, some units, and some battalions.

"There has been a proliferation of this particular narrative, which is completely false and which is aimed at confusing your people," she said, showing video links of those stories published in some national dailies as well as televisions.

She said such a campaign was started by Russia as Vladimir Putin did not like the comment of President Macron.

"He (Putin) would prefer to see European allies, Nato allies, weak and accepting possibly a defeat by Ukraine. But it's not the case. So, he did not like this kind of comment.  So, a new operation, an informational operation, was launched, started by Russia targeting, for obvious reasons, France President Macron. This was reproduced in some of your online channels," the ambassador said.

Replying to a question, she said, it's not happening only in Bangladesh.

"Bangladesh is one of their (Russia's) target countries amongst the so-called global south in case they need some support when it comes to negotiating a peace with Ukraine or any other circumstances. I don't know what they have in mind. But your country, your people, your public opinion, is being targeted by this massive, absolutely massive informational operation and completely distorting reality when it comes to what France is doing with Ukraine, when it comes to our intentions."

"So, I wanted to alert you on that because you are, of course, very professional and serious media, and it's your duty to not only debunk all this, but even pre-bunk, so that your people reading your media, looking at your TV channels, are not lured into wrong direction," she said.

Some of those reports also suggest that Russia will respond to French troops' deployment with nuclear weapons.

"The aim is to make people afraid in Bangladesh and in other key countries of the so-called global south. So please think of it. And I would be very happy to see this campaign stopping thanks to your efforts," she told the media.

When asked whether she raised the issue with the government, the ambassador said: "Information manipulation is definitely one issue which we raise with your government."

She said Putin is desperately trying to increase his support base all around the world.

"We all know this because one day he might need a vote by the countries in the United Nations or in some fora, whatever it is. So, manipulating the public opinion is a very good way he thinks, a very efficient way he thinks, to get the support of eventually the government of this country. You understand? So, these campaigns are very well organized and they should be. Your people should be made aware about it," the ambassador said.

The ambassador would not term this fake news or propaganda or disinformation.

"We are talking about information manipulation," she said, sharing a report by two French think tanks back in 2018.

"Information manipulation has to fulfil three criteria to be called an information manipulation operation. They are a coordinated campaign, the diffusion of false information or information that is consciously distorted, and the political intention of a foreign state entity generally. The political intention is to cause harm," the ambassador said.

"France, of course, has been facing information manipulation campaigns in the last years. And we are seeing these campaigns intensifying in the last months, I would say originating from Russia, and aiming at harming France."

Replying to a question on the Palestine situation, she said, France's position on the conflict in Gaza is very clear.

"We are in favour of a ceasefire. We are in favour of Israel respecting humanitarian international law, which is not the case actually. And we are supporting the decision by the International Criminal Court to pursue in two different avenues, some members of Hamas and Prime Minister Netanyahu, who are not respecting international humanitarian law and who are not working for a durable ceasefire. We want Palestine and Israel, two states coexisting together and respecting each other's security, and borders."