German pro-Kremlin propagandist, disguised as a journalist, fled to Russia

One more propagandist, disguising herself as a journalist, has left the European Union. We’re talking about Dagmar Henn, a German national and a fervent Putin’s supporter.

Dagmar Henn served as a correspondent for RT (Russia Today), the largest Russian propaganda network, which the EU banned for disseminating false information after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Henn’s publications have often faced criticism and condemnation due to her promotion of numerous conspiracy theories. She defended Adolf Hitler’s crimes throughout the Second World War. 

Henn’s blog, under the pseudonym “Russophile,” features an article claiming that the bankers of the United States and Britain pushed Hitler into aggression against other countries, despite his alleged lack of desire for war. Putin previously articulated a similar conspiracy theory. According to his version, Poland allegedly pushed Hitler into the war.

Dagmar Henn runs her German-language blog, where she justifies and condones the Russian invasion of Ukraine and retells Russian fakes. 

Dagmar Henn denied the crimes and atrocities committed by Russian troops against Ukrainian civilians in the town of Bucha during the occupation, calling them fake. She is also the author of “Honest Donbas,” a book that endorses the essential narratives of Kremlin propaganda and defends Russian war aggression against Ukraine.

She cannot, therefore, be considered a journalist; rather, she is merely a propagandist for the Russian government trying to sway European public opinion.

She fled to Russia, where she has already received political asylum, to avoid a completely unbiased investigation by German law enforcement, which is not shocking.

This is not an isolated case for Putin’s admirers in Europe. The number of such asylum seekers in Russia rose as European nations started to look more thoroughly into the destabilizing activities of Russian agents.

Alina Lipp, a well-known propagandist who claimed to be a journalist, had previously emigrated to Russia. Lipp also tried to disseminate Russian narratives in Germany, but a report exposing her Kremlin connections forced her to flee.

It’s crucial to emphasize that, contrary to what Russian media occasionally attempt to portray, such acts by European law enforcement officials are not an “attack on freedom of speech” or a “restriction of media freedom.” However, the Russian agents of influence, disguised as journalists, aren’t journalists. Accordingly, the rest of the EU should take note of the German police’s efforts in this matter.

Moscow’s propaganda offensive requires Europe to defend itself. This becomes even more critical on the eve of the European Parliament elections. The recent scandal over the Kremlin influence network involving the Prague-based platform “Voice of Europe, revealed that Russia will attempt to rig the election in order to elect its allies to the legislature.

Russia’s key goals in influencing EU policies are to lift sanctions, halt Europe’s assistance for Ukraine, and resume relations with Brussels. The EU’s strong support for Ukraine is crucial for Europe, as Putin’s regime will not stop in the occupied territories; it attacks the entire Ukraine, and will not stop there. Experts pointed out that Baltic states, EU and NATO members, can be Russia’s next targets.