First Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Oleksandr Korniienko took part in the International Forum "Information Warfare: From Resistance to Resilience", organised by The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine and the Institute for National Resilience and Security.
The participants discussed how the resilience to disinformation and the development of strategic communications are becoming key factors in national and global security. Leading global experts shared the experience of countermeasures to new challenges in the field of information and cognitive security. The forum served as a platform for developing joint strategies for building information resilience at the international level.
In his speech, the First Deputy Speaker emphasised that false information spreads much faster than official data, which creates challenges for the media and government agencies. He stressed the importance of fact-checking, collecting official statistics and taking a careful approach to verifying information in order to counter russian propaganda and manipulation..
Oleksandr Korniienko pointed out that democratic systems based on freedom of speech and free choice are naturally vulnerable to external influence. This creates, in particular, risks of manipulation of public opinion, interference in elections and polarisation of society.
The Deputy Speaker emphasised the importance of systematic, step-by-step work with political leaders, MPs and civil society in EU and NATO member states to prevent the spread of russian propaganda aimed at reducing support for Ukraine and weakening the unity of allies.
The First Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine noted that russia is actively using internal political processes in certain European countries to influence decisions on EU enlargement. According to Oleksandr Kornienko, it is important for Ukraine to take this factor into account in its diplomatic activities and public communications.
The First Deputy Speaker thanked the forum participants for their attention to the issue of information security, noting that joint work by experts and the exchange of experience will help strengthen the resilience of Ukraine and its partners to disinformation.