This thesis investigates the mechanisms through which Russian malign information is disseminated in Western countries, focusing on Sweden as a case study. It proposes that Russia uses a cultural keying strategy by mimicking the narratives of local partisan groups to cultivate trust and legitimacy within these networks, aiming for these groups to act as local brokers by engaging with the Russian malign messages and incorporating them within the broader national media network. The thesis investigates if Russia targets the far-right as local brokers in Sweden. 

The findings reveal that Russian state-sponsored media outlets align their narratives with the Swedish far-right, supporting the proposition that Russia employs a cultural keying strategy. The analysis also finds that the Swedish far-right behave as local brokers of Russian malign messages by amplifying Russian anti-immigration narratives to advance its own political agenda. Furthermore, findings show that the Swedish far-right engages with Russian malign information on topics beyond immigration. In some cases, the purpose seems to be to strengthen their political messages. In other cases, the motivations remain unclear, as some of these narratives directly seek to undermine Swedish national security and Western security cooperation. By illuminating how local partisan groups assist the Kremlin in disseminating harmful messages in the West, this study can inform counterstrategies to enhance resilience against Russian malign information efforts aimed at undermining trust in democratic institutions and weakening Western states.