In today's #vatniksoup, I'll introduce a Danish "citizen journalist" and propagandist, Jesper Larsen (@JesperL01). He's best-known for his pro-Russian fake news blog, ipressen, and for his battle against East StratCom and @EUvsDisinfo.
1/22
Jesper's main target has been an organization called East StratCom, which he calls a "system of censorship". He states that in addition to "political funding", East Stratcom also has external funding coming from George Soros and intelligence services.
2/22
What East StratCom actually does is a lot of research on information operations and disinformation, so defaming it is naturally a high priority for any pro-Kremlin propagandist. The most famous project of East StratCom is the debunking website, EU vs. Disinfo.
3/22
In 2017, Larsen authored a critical report on East StratCom and sent it to Danish pro-Kremlin politician and former defence attaché in Moscow, Marie Krarup. Krarup and her comments have appeared on many occasions on Russian state-controlled media channel, Sputnik.
4/22
Larsen has dedicated a total of 11 blog posts on ipressen to defaming East StratCom, but fortunately these efforts have been in vain. He's also attacked European Values Center for Security Policy, an NGO directed by @_JakubJanda.
5/22
In a 2017 interview, Larsen said that he's made three tips to Crimea, two to Donbas and once to Kyiv to "see what is really happening". According to Jesper, these trips were self-financed. During his trips, he visited the Russia-sponsored separatists, allegedly celebrated...
6/22
with them and visited their military base, which he called "impressive". He also appeared on a local propaganda TV station called "Novorossiya TV". In the interview, he praises the "Donbas separatists" for their "high level of discipline" and for keeping the streets and...
7/22
...alleys of Donetsk clean. Jesper has claimed that he has never received any money from Russia or from pro-Russia media, but that he'd gladly accept payments to "cover my costs".
8/22
Larsen likes to frame absolutely everything as "Russophobia". One example of this is Bill Browder & the "Russophobic" Magnitsky Act. In 2005, Browder was blacklisted over made-up charges by the Russian authorities and his company assets were seized by the Russian government.
9/22
In 2009, Browder's lawyer Sergei Magnitsky died due inadequate medical treatment. After this, Browder started promoting for the Magnitsky Act (and its variants), an international law that would allow officials to sanction individuals for their crimes.
10/22
Larsen has also questioned the down shooting of MH17 by two Russians (including Igor Girkin) and one Ukrainian, parroting the RT narrative that the missile that took down the plane was actually under Ukrainian control (it was not).
11/22
In Oct 2017, Finnish super-vatnik Johan Bäckman interviewed Jesper Larsen in Helsinki, Finland. Most of the interview focuses on the "fake news" reported by the mainstream media in Europe and in the Nordics. Ironically, the video where these two claim that "there is no...
12/22
...free speech" In Europe, are the most productive spreaders of non-censored pro-Russian propaganda in the Nordics. He also attended a "International Expert Conference" called "Hybrid Threats, Nordic States & The Future of Donbass". The event was again organized by Bäckman.
13/22
In 2018, Larsen published a post titled "Toxic lies about Douma", in which he suggested that the video which showed the children victims of a chemical attack was fake, and that it was used to justify "NATO bombing" in Syria.
14/22
In the same article, he also cast doubts on the White Helmets, an NGO group providing humanitarian aid in Syria.
During the same year, Larsen also did an interview with Aleksandr Dugin, which I unfortunately couldn't find from these very 90's style website.
15/22
During 2022, Jesper was also active on Twitter. Some of his topics include the fake referendums, Zelensky's "cocaine addiction", Croatia blocking Finland's and Sweden's NATO membership, and "genocide in Donbas".
16/22
In Feb 2023, Larsen was broadcasting from a Danish "antiwar" demonstration called "The war is more than blue and yellow". The event featured a handful people, and it contained "songs and speeches against arms donations to Ukraine".
17/22
In Apr 2023, Larsen appeared on Bäckman's show with the title "Nordic Experts: Russian Victory in Ukraine leads to Ukronazified NATO", where he appeared alongside with prominent intellectuals, including Swedish Agneta Norberg and a guy from Norway called "Bjorn".
18/22
In this panel, the gang suggested that the news coming out from Nordic public broadcasting companies is no longer just propaganda, but "warporn". The main topic of discussion is a recently published, joint-effort documentary by Nordic public broadcasting companies ...
19/22
...called "The Shadow War". This documentary focuses on Kremlin's espionage efforts against Nordic wind farms, oil platforms, and undersea cables.
20/22
Fortunately, the Nordic countries have become quite resilient to Kremlin narratives, and most of the Nordic propagandists are now in a very tiny marginal, where Larsen also resides.
21/22
Nevertheless, he's still active in the Danish and Nordic scene, broadcasting pro-Russian demonstrations and participating in various podcasts. I'm sure we will see more of him in @johanbek's "Z-streams", where they call for "less Russophobic" news coverage.
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll introduce Russian propagandist Sergei Tsaulin. He’s best-known for spreading pro-Kremlin narratives in Estonia, fleeing to Russia after breaking several laws in Estonia, and almost getting blown up by a bomb in St. Petersburg.
1/17
For years, Tsaulin was known for organizing marches and events glorifying the Soviet Union. Under the excuse of “remembering history,” these events were nothing more than Kremlin propaganda, wrapped in a red flag with a hammer and sickle.
2/17
One of his most infamous events was the “Immortal Regiment” march, held every 9th of May, where people carried portraits of Soviet soldiers. These marches are used by Russia to push the idea that the Baltics owe their existence to the Soviets.
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll introduce a podcaster and conspiracy theorist, Joe Rogan (@joerogan). He’s best-known for launching the biggest podcast in the world, promoting various conspiracy theories, his support for Donald Trump and his anti-Ukraine rhetoric.
1/22
Joe Rogan started as a stand-up comedian in the 1980s, found fame on NewsRadio, and became a household name with Fear Factor. But his biggest impact came in 2009 when he launched The Joe Rogan Experience (JRE), one of the first major podcasts.
2/22
JRE started as casual but deep conversations, often covering countercultural topics like psychedelics, MMA & hunting. Joe’s podcasting style is largely non-confrontational, often allowing his guests to share their views without significant pushback or critical questioning.
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll introduce KOOS party leader and Estonian crypto businessman Oleg Ivanov. He’s best known for running shady businesses, spreading Russian false narratives in Estonia, and participating in the pro-Kremlin political party KOOS.
1/18
As a talented youngster, Oleg learned Estonian almost flawlessly, was a promising karate athlete, and landed a job at a law firm at just 20. He caught the eye of Estonian fuel entrepreneur Endel Siff, who quickly took him under his wing.
2/18
Oleg’s father, Vladimir Ivanov, was a longtime politician from the Russian-funded United People’s Party of Estonia. His career at the town hall ended abruptly when he was caught drunk at work. After that, he went into business with his son, Oleg.
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll talk about the takeover of social media by illiberal, populist influencers. For the last ten years, social media has been dominated by these voices and it is one of the main reasons for the political rise of people like Trump and Orban.
1/25
“Illiberal populists” like Trump reject democratic norms while claiming to speak for “the people.” They centralize power, attack institutions, and push nationalism over rights. Elections exist, but checks & balances erode. This is democracy in name, autocracy in action.
2/25
The media landscape has changed drastically over the past two decades. The Internet and social media have changed how we interact online & how we consume media,but it has also become our main source of news. In many ways,social media companies have control over information.
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll introduce Lithuanian far-right politician and Seimas member Remigijus Žemaitaitis. He’s best known for his extremist political views and for falling for a scam that convinced him he was flying to New York to meet Elon Musk.
1/17
Like many vatniks before him, Remigijus worked as a lawyer before entering the world of politics. Once just another politician, he gradually embraced far-right nationalism and populism, following a trend seen across Europe over the past 15 years.
2/17
Instead of real policies, he tapped into fear, resentment, and anger, turning 4chan talking points into a populist political strategy. His speeches became more extreme, targeting minorities, Western institutions, and Lithuania’s support for Ukraine.