Brussels: Russia Exploiting Ceuta Crisis but Did Not Cause It

The European Union has confirmed it observed Russian attempts to exploit the Ceuta migration crisis on social media, whilst stating that it possesses no conclusive evidence that foreign-state disinformation was responsible for provoking the crisis in the first place.

An EU spokesman told La Vanguardia that "in the case of Ceuta, we have seen attempts by Russia to exploit the crisis online" — a characterisation that stops well short of the claims advanced by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. In a radio interview on Cadena Ser, Sánchez alleged that Spain's "bold" foreign policy may have motivated Russia and Israel to destabilise migration flows through the spread of disinformation and false narratives. He cited what he described as an undisclosed EEAS report in support of those claims.

What Brussels will and will not say

The EU's External Action Service (EEAS) acknowledged that it had for some time observed "significant" disinformation activity on social networks around the migration issue, noting that such campaigns aim to stoke divisions and heighten political polarisation across Europe. Nevertheless, Brussels said it did not have "conclusive evidence to suggest that the crisis itself was provoked by disinformation from foreign state actors."

The EEAS added that, as a service to member states, it provides periodic assessments of the information environment surrounding specific crises and political events, sharing its findings with individual governments when their interests are affected.

EU spokesman Guillaume Mercier had offered a broadly similar assessment in early August, stating that the European Commission had detected channels — particularly from Russia — amplifying coverage of the mass migrant crossings on social media. That activity was observed after 30 July, he indicated, with no suspicious prior activity detected before that date.

Israel question left unanswered

The EU response addresses Russia's conduct but notably sidesteps Sánchez's parallel accusation against Israel. Spain has been among the most vocal European governments pressing for measures against Tel Aviv over its military campaign in Gaza — a stance that has so far yielded little result, owing in part to resistance from Germany and other member states.

Russia demands proof; Spain stands firm

Russia has rejected the allegations outright. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman María Zajárova demanded that Spain produce "concrete facts" substantiating its claims before any accusation of that gravity could be taken seriously. The Spanish government has not revised its position. Officials at the Moncloa palace indicated that the relevant investigations touch on national security and are largely classified, suggesting that the appropriate congressional committee — meeting behind closed doors — is the proper forum for further disclosure rather than a press conference.