Truth Under Siege: Russia’s (Dis)Information Campaigns and the Ukraine Crisis
A discussion with Peter Pomerantsev and other leading experts three years after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine
A joint public event of the British Embassy and Political Capital
Date: 11 March 2025 I 16:00-18:00
Venue: Hotel President,1054 Budapest, Hold u. 3-5. Panorama Floor
Language: English
Three years into Russia's attempt to conquer Ukraine, it has become clear that the Kremlin's information war is fully integrated with its military war. Some of it is aimed at Ukraine, with Russian false narratives attempting to erode trust in the country’s political and military leadership. However, the information war is primarily aimed at the West to undermine its support for Ukraine. Russia's calculation is that if Western support is undermined, Ukraine will lack the weapons and resources to hold the front lines. The war for Western perceptions is, therefore, at least as important to Russia as the battle on the ground in Ukraine.
As Russian disinformation campaigns about the invasion of Ukraine flood Western debates, this discussion will look at how challenge these campaigns and ultimately win an information war. We will also explore Ukraine's European future and Europe's security prospects.
Our special guest will be Peter Pomerantsev, one of the most renowned Russian disinformation and propaganda experts, a Senior Fellow at the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University, and co-director of the Arena Initiative. A prolific author, his books include How to Win an Information War (2024), This is Not Propaganda (2019), Nothing is True, and Everything is Possible (2015).
Programme
16:00-16:10 Welcome remarks
Paul Fox – Ambassador of the United Kingdom
Péter Krekó – director, Political Capital
16:10-16:30 How to end Russia’s information war?
Peter Pomerantsev – a Senior Fellow at the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University, co-director of the Arena Initiative
16:30-17:30 Roundtable: The strategic role of disinformation campaigns in the war
Peter Pomerantsev – a Senior Fellow at the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University, co-director of the Arena Initiative
Péter Krekó – director, Political Capital
Márk Takács – military expert, Ex-captain, Hungarian Defence Forces
Dorka Takácsy – Russia expert, researcher, CEID
moderator: Edit Inotai – journalist
17:30-18:00 Q&A
Registration is required to participate in the event, which you can do via the following link: https://forms.gle/bXkpEjJBNLyRPasw6
