Brussels, July 20 (LaPresse) – "We have long been monitoring Russian operations against the EU and the President. Independent fact-checkers have clearly identified these operations in the context of the motion of no confidence against the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen," said European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier. "This is a further reminder that actors closely associated with Russian state propaganda continue to try to polarize and weaken the European Union. They are opportunistically exploiting events or political discussions within the EU to distort political debate, spread conspiracy theories, or discredit European politicians. The free and independent press in Europe, as well as fact-checkers and researchers, have an important role to play in advancing understanding of the issue," the Commission emphasized.