Lithuania, EU and Canada Withdraw Support for Vilnius Disinfo Conference Under US Pressure
The withdrawals followed US pressure over sessions that described the United States as a foreign information manipulation and interference threat, officials said.
- On Thursday, the European External Action Service , Canada, and Lithuania withdrew support from the #Disinfo2026 conference in Vilnius following reported pressure from the U.S. State Department over the event's program content.
- Sessions characterizing the United States as a source of foreign information manipulation and interference prompted the withdrawals, as the Trump administration reportedly took issue with how organisers framed discussions.
- The State Department confirmed it could not discuss private diplomatic conversations but stated it should not be surprising that countries disaffiliated upon learning the U.S. was labeled a 'FIMI threat.'
- MEP Alexandra Geese condemned the pressure as "foreign interference," while Domen Savic, co-founder of NGO Dr~avljan D, called the move "a hugely irresponsible" lack of commitment to fighting disinformation.
- France remains the only major sponsor, while critics warn EU institutions risk credibility by avoiding confrontation with the White House over disinformation efforts across the continent.
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18 Articles
EU pulls sponsorship from disinformation event in Lithuania
The EU's diplomatic service, Canada and host nation Lithuania all pulled support from a disinformation event in Vilnius. Amid reports of US pressure, the EU said it was "uncomfortable with the framing" of some panels.
‘The Guardian’ and other media outlets published Thursday that U.S. pressure led to the withdrawal of international disinformation meeting logos. What happened?
The Trump administration was disturbed by the discussion sessions in which the US was mentioned as a threat of misinformation. The Trump administration put pressure on diplomatic officials in the EU, Canada and Lithuania to withdraw from an international conference on misinformation, after organizers announced sessions warning about the threat ...
European Commission cites concerns over framing of discussions amid reports of US pressure on conference supporters
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