“Ukrainians abroad can turn from an object of enemy propaganda into a subject of counter-propaganda” – Margarita Sytnyk at Donbas Media Forum

On October 9, Margarita Sytnyk, co-founder of the civic initiative “Holka,” participated in the Donbas Media Forum as a speaker on the panel discussion “Can disinformation about Ukrainians abroad be countered?”

About 1,000 media professionals, experts, and civil activists attended the first day of the tenth anniversary forum, held annually.

Margarita Sytnyk emphasizes that Russia is currently conducting a systematic disinformation campaign in countries hosting millions of Ukrainians:

“The aggressor state’s goal is to discredit Ukraine, sow distrust between Ukrainian communities and local societies, and undermine partner support. Ukrainians abroad can become information allies for Ukraine in countering disinformation. As successful experience shows, such as the cancellation of the performance by Putin’s propagandist and conductor Valery Gergiev in Italy through a joint advocacy campaign by Ukrainian activists in Italy, Italian politicians and journalists, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and ‘Holka’ under the ‘Bridges of Ukraine’ project. Similarly, the performance of opera singer and former Putin associate Anna Netrebko was canceled in Romania.”

The panel was organized by the Center for Democracy and Rule of Law in cooperation with Donbas Media Forum.

Deputy Director of the Center for Democracy and Rule of Law, Ihor Rozkladay, stresses the need for better coordination among communities to effectively counter Russian disinformation abroad:

“The Center for Democracy and Law, as a META partner, has observed Russian attacks not only on Ukrainians but also on Germany, France, Israel, Poland, and vice versa, using Ukrainians against these countries. In our library, there are ‘exemplary’ cases of hate speech, for example, how Italians accuse Ukrainians of Nazism. Understanding that it is impossible to influence attacked countries’ communities from Ukraine alone, ‘Holka’ is building the ‘Bridges of Ukraine’ project, highlighting the importance of local communities and coordination with them. It was this synergy of different perspectives and understandings that made it possible to hold an engaging discussion, which truly showed how multifaceted and complex this problem is, and why collaboration is necessary for effective analysis and counteraction of Russian disinformation.”

Reference:

“Bridges of Ukraine” is an original project by Margarita Sytnyk, co-founder of the civic initiative “Holka,” aimed at building bridges between Ukrainians in Ukraine and abroad to advocate for Ukrainian interests, counter Russian disinformation, and support the state during the war and post-war reconstruction. The project operates without donor funding. Support “Holka’s” activities via donation.