EU withdraws support for conference after US approaches governments — The Guardian
The European External Action Service has withdrawn its official support for the #Disinfo2026 conference in Vilnius, Lithuania. As The Guardian reports, the administration of US President Donald Trump approached several governments regarding their support for the event. Lithuania and Canada also ended their sponsorship of the conference, although Canadian officials continued to participate in it.
Logos removed from materials
#Disinfo2026 is an annual gathering of the European community countering disinformation. The event is organized by the Brussels-based nonprofit organization EU Disinfo Lab. The conference brought together researchers, journalists, technology specialists and officials responsible for policymaking in Vilnius.
A few days before the conference, the logos of its main partners were removed from its website: Lithuania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the European External Action Service and Global Affairs Canada. Photographs of the event’s printed materials also show white stickers used to cover the markings of these organizations.
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Objections to panel on the United States
Three sources for the publication, including European officials, confirmed that the US State Department contacted several governments over their support for the conference. Internal department documents seen by The Guardian indicate that US officials thanked Lithuania for taking US concerns seriously.
In particular, the US side focused on the panel “The US as a FIMI threat: adapt, acknowledge, counter.” FIMI stands for foreign information manipulation and interference. The panel discussed how the European community could strengthen resilience without Washington; its speakers included three Americans, including a former CIA employee.
Lithuania’s Foreign Ministry said it canceled its participation because certain parts of the program did not correspond to the government’s official position. Global Affairs Canada said that after changes to the wording of several panel discussions, it reviewed its participation in those sessions. An EU representative explained the withdrawal of support by saying that the organizers had formulated some discussions in a way that did not correspond to the European Union’s official positions. At the same time, the EU continues to fund the event despite removing its branding as an official partner.
