On 14 November, USCC co-founder Olesia Horiainova became a speaker at the international symposium “How Russian propaganda and disinformation affects societies around the world” in Dublin (Ireland). The event was organized by Ukrainian Action, the Embassy of Ukraine in Ireland with the support of the US Embassy and the Delegation of the European Commission.
During the event, experts from Ukraine, Ireland, the EU and the US discussed how Russian propaganda and disinformation is affecting Ukraine’s democratic societies and its consequences . The participants tried to figure out whether we will win the information war against Russia and how we can do it.
Olesya Goryainova, USCC co-founder and Communications Director, together with distinguished ambassadors, organisers and speakers of the Dublin Symposium.
The co-founder of the USCC presented the case of the Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Centre for Countering Russian Hybrid Influence in the Czech Republic and stressed the global nature of Russia’s hybrid war against the West.
“For decades, Ukraine has been a platform for Russia to test new methods and rhetoric. It was here that Russia began to wage hybrid warfare and use hybrid influences. For almost 10 years, USCC experts have been studying Russia’s tactics so that Western partners can prevent its interference in their countries and stop the common enemy in time.”
For a long time, Russia’s goals have remained unchanged: to increase its presence in every region of the world, expanding the borders of the “empire”; to make Western democracies weak and chaotic, to weaken the coalition; to enrich itself at the expense of others by stealing natural resources from some and selling them to other countries. The task set by Ukrainians and the USCC team in particular is to show the world the true face of Russia.
Olesia Horiainova, co-founder and communications director of the USCC, speaking at a symposium in Dublin.
“With the start of the full-scale invasion, the world was exposed to the true nature of Russia, which prevented it from using its influence directly. Instead of the usual pro-Russian rhetoric, today the Kremlin’s words are heard from the mouths of opinion leaders of other states or vulnerable segments of society. Russia has not stopped its propaganda activities, it uses the pain points of states to achieve what it wants,” Olesia Horiainova comments.
Olesia Horiainova called the recent Roma-Ukrainian conflict in the Czech Republic, which did not go without Russian intervention, an illustration of Russia’s attempts to discredit Ukraine and undermine Western societies.
Read also: Russian hydra in Europe: The Czech Republic under attack
Having no successes and no significant victories on the frontline in Ukraine, Russia will continue to make every effort to indirectly weaken the coalition and destabilize Western countries.
“What can we do? Identify all Russian networks of influence in the world, track assets and companies that help Russia to arm and wage war with their funding, show society how Russia operates and teach them how to prevent it. Russia will stop only where it is stopped, and we have all the tools to do so while Ukraine protects the whole world at the cost of the lives of its citizens,” said Olesia Horiainova, co-founder and communications director of the USCC.