March 11 within the framework of the forum “Ukraine 30: Culture.

Media.

Tourism ”, a presentation of the center for countering disinformation will take place.

This date was announced earlier by the head of the office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak.

The official called on foreign partners to take part in the work of the future organization.

“We believe that our German friends and colleagues will be among the first to join this idea, because today, unfortunately, Ukraine is indeed a springboard where counter-information, primarily from the Russian Federation, is constantly used.

Therefore, we have extensive experience of counteraction and we very much hope that we will be able to coordinate our efforts with international partners, ”Yermak said on March 9 during an online discussion“ Conflict in the East of Ukraine: Prospects for 2021 ”.

"On the front lines of the fight against propaganda"

The initiative to open an international center for countering disinformation was initiated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the online debate of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly at the end of September last year.

According to Zelensky, in the modern world, "disinformation and fake news" can affect global markets, stock exchanges and the electoral process.

“Ukraine, as one of the countries that has been actively countering propaganda and information attacks since 2014, is ready to initiate the creation in Kiev of the headquarters of an international office to counter disinformation and propaganda,” Zelensky said.

March 9, speaking at the forum “Ukraine 30: Culture.

Media.

Tourism ”, the President of Ukraine said that the center for countering disinformation in the future should turn into an international hub for combating propaganda and dissemination of inaccurate information throughout the world.

Zelenskiy believes that modern Ukraine is "at the forefront of the fight against propaganda."

According to the Ukrainian leader, the country is being attacked "not only from outside, but also from within."

“These are artificially created so-called opinion leaders who know better from Spain how to live in Ukraine.

These are mass disinformation media that cover sabotage with the freedom of speech on the instructions of the aggressor, ”Zelensky said.

As experts interviewed by RT explained, the president of Ukraine means Russia by an external information enemy and “aggressor,” and by internal enemies, the activities of the opposition blogger and politician Anatoly Shariy living in Spain and the TV channels 112 Ukraine, ZIK and NEWSONE, owned by the deputy from the Opposition Platforms - For Life ”(HLS) to Taras Kozak.

We will remind, on February 16 against Shariy the SBU opened a criminal case on high treason and violation of the equality of citizens.

On March 1, the special service suspected the politician of allegedly entering deliberately false information when registering a political party and using forged documents.

In addition, on February 3, by enacting a resolution of the National Security and Defense Council, Zelensky ordered the disconnection of 112 Ukraine, ZIK and NEWSONE from the broadcasting network.

According to the president, these media outlets allegedly received funding from the Russian Federation.

In response, the HLE began collecting signatures for the impeachment announcement to the president.

According to experts, the fight against the imaginary information threat of the Russian Federation has become one of the key leitmotifs of Zelensky's policy, which, with the help of pressure on the opposition, is trying to maintain a declining rating.

In the public space, official Kiev opposes several key theses of "Russian propaganda", analysts explain.

In particular, the Ukrainian authorities are trying to challenge the facts of infringement of the Russian-speaking population, which are regularly paid attention to by the Russian and opposition Ukrainian media.

  • Minister of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine Oleksandr Tkachenko

  • globallookpress.com

  • © Hennadii Minchenko / Keystone Press Agency

Kiev also refuses to recognize the position of the West and attacks on freedom of speech, denying that the sanctions against 112 Ukraine, ZIK and NEWSONE violate the right to express alternative points of view.

Minister of Culture and Information Policy Alexander Tkachenko announced this on February 25 on his Telegram page.

“The Russian authorities have lost a large-scale media resource that manipulated the moods, thoughts, political preferences of Ukrainians,” Tkachenko wrote, explaining the sanctions against television channels.

As the official said, the center for countering disinformation will primarily deal with the analysis of media threats.

According to Tkachenko, the organization will "monitor the situation, show what fakes are spreading in the information space."

In addition to the center, the authorities are planning to launch an "online museum of Russian propaganda."

The head of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine called the emergence of this institution "the first step" on the path of creating an infrastructure that will explain to citizens "what kind of environment we are in."

"The flagrant violation of freedom of speech"

An RT source in the office of the President of Ukraine said that by launching a center for countering disinformation, Zelensky seeks to justify the deprivation of licenses from 112 Ukraine, ZIK and NEWSONE and the imposition of sanctions against the chairman of the political council of OLEZ Viktor Medvedchuk.

“Volodymyr Zelenskyy considers not only Petro Poroshenko to be his real rivals, but also OLE, and personally Viktor Medvedchuk.

Ukrainians have become disillusioned with Zelensky's policies, and the influence of opposition channels on public opinion has grown steadily, "said the interlocutor of RT.

At the same time, as the interlocutor of RT said, the President of Ukraine is trying to demonstrate to his “Western partners” his readiness to actively fight “against Russian influence” and, if possible, involve them in this process.

An RT source in the Golos party doubts that leading Western countries will send their representatives to participate in the work of the center for countering propaganda.

In his opinion, abroad is unlikely to support the creation of such an organization, perceiving it as an unnecessary measure in pressure on dissent.

“The creation of a new center, which will actually determine what to tell the citizens of Ukraine from the blue screens, is a gross violation of freedom of speech.

I think that even Western partners, who have long turned a blind eye to violations of all rights in Ukraine, will not like this idea, ”says the interlocutor of RT.

According to Vladimir Olenchenko, senior researcher at the Center for European Studies at the IMEMO RAS, the activities of the center for countering propaganda will become a tool that will allow the authorities to close objectionable TV channels and Internet resources.

“This organization will have to suppress dissent.

It can be expected that statements or transmission of any information that concerns Russia and does not coincide with the policy and practice of the current Kiev authorities will fall under censorship, "Olenchenko said in a conversation with RT.

The expert believes that Kiev, to a certain extent, is trying to copy the experience of combating fake news from the European Union, where specialized organizations operate to assess the reliability of content published in the media.

One of the goals of such structures is to create obstacles for the receipt of objective information about Russia and its activities abroad, says Olenchenko.

  • TV channels "112 Ukraine", ZIK and NEWSONE taken out of the broadcasting grid

  • RIA News

“There is nothing innovative in this center.

And it makes no sense for the Ukrainian authorities to declare this organization international - at the moment it is not clear which countries in general may be interested in working in this organization.

There has not yet been a single message that at least one state has declared that it was inspired by the Ukrainian initiative, ”Olenchenko stated.

In an interview with RT, RANEPA teacher Sergei Margulis suggested that representatives of the Baltic states, Poland and Georgia could join the work of the center for countering propaganda.

The United States can make a certain contribution to the organization of its activities.

“The main goal of this center is mainly to counter the spread of the“ Russian threat ”, information influence on the most sensitive topics for the Ukrainian authorities, including the situation in Donbass.

In addition, this center, apparently, will be focused on the internal political struggle in Ukraine, to protect the interests of the current authorities, ”explained Margulis.

According to the expert, Zelensky is actually continuing the propaganda Russophobic policy of his predecessor, aimed at eliminating alternative points of view on the country's development and relations with Moscow.

“Today we are witnessing the results of the changes that began after the coup d'etat in 2014, associated with the construction of an anti-Russian state in Ukraine.

Poroshenko made a lot of efforts for this.

This process is developing progressively, and Zelensky is acting precisely in this paradigm, ”concluded Margulis.