Russia and Islamist terrorist groups are increasingly targeting the EU with propaganda – the warning in a resolution approved by MEPs, which aims to combat anti-Europe campaigns.

It says Moscow spreads propaganda through media and other means – seeking to incite fear and divide.

“What this report is trying to do [is] pointing a finger to at least one direction or let’s say one-and-a-half directions, to Russia and to ISIS,” said Eugen Freund, an Austrian centre-left MEP.

“And to explain how various Russian entities, Russia TVs, Sputnik and so on are trying to influence the audience in Europe. They are trying to split Europe and the United States, they are trying to belittle what the United States, what the European Union is doing.”

The resolution says propaganda aims to discredit EU institutions.

Moscow’s been quick to react, with President Vladimir Putin claiming the move says a lot about democracy in the West.

“We are observing some – totally obvious – degradation – in the political sense of this word – of the perception of democracy in Western society. In this case, at the level of the European parliament,” he said.

MEPs say Russia has stepped up its anti-EU propaganda since annexing Crimea. They are now suggesting more awareness raising, education and investigative journalism.