The initiative, which is known as the Ukraine Communications Group brings together partner countries and international organizations including Finland, France, Canada, Lithuania, Latvia, Germany, Poland, Slovenia, United States, Sweden, Ukraine, NATO, and the European External Action Service [EEAS]) and aims to strengthen coordination towards the effective exposure of Russian disinformation.
Ukraine Comunications Group was launched in Warsaw today. The 🇵🇱🇺🇸 initiative aims to counter false narratives about Russian aggression on 🇺🇦 and expose disinformation.
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs 🇵🇱 (@PolandMFA) June 10, 2024
It’s a strong signal of our determination to continue supporting 🇺🇦 in its fight against Russian invasion.
"The Kremlin regularly uses lies and manipulation to undermine our solidarity with the Ukrainian people defending their homeland. This group aims to address misleading narratives about Russian aggression against Ukraine and foster a fact-based approach in the global information environment," said a release from the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs June 10.
"Launching the Ukraine Communications Group is a strong signal of our common determination to continue supporting Ukraine in its fight against the Russian invasion," said the Ministry.
On June 10, Plenipotentiary of the Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs for Countering International Disinformation Tomasz Chłoń and U.S. Special Envoy and Coordinator for the Global Engagement Center James P. Rubin attended the opening ceremony of the Ukraine Communications Group in Warsaw.
The U.S. Department of State said:
"Today, the United States and Poland jointly launched a new Ukraine Communications Group (UCG) based in Warsaw to support Ukraine against Russia’s aggression in the information space. The UCG will bring together like-minded partner governments to coordinate messaging, promote accurate reporting of Russia’s full-scale invasion, amplify Ukrainian voices, and expose Kremlin information manipulation.
"Representatives from participating countries will begin collaborating in person to support Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity through collaborative efforts to counter disinformation and support fact-based reporting. The Kremlin repeatedly uses lies and manipulation to peddle false pretexts for its unjustifiable invasion, obfuscate its war aims, and attempt to fracture worldwide solidarity with the Ukrainian people. The UCG is designed to counter these deceptive narratives and reinforce honest coverage of Ukraine’s resilience and bravery in the face of Russia’s aggression."
The UCG "offers another tool for like-minded countries to support Ukraine and protect the integrity of the global information space," said the Department of State.