EU drops sponsorship of disinformation conference at Trump officials’ request

Key Points:

• The Trump administration pressured Canada, Lithuania, and the EU’s diplomatic service to withdraw sponsorship from the #Disinfo2026 conference, a key European event on disinformation, due to concerns over a panel framing the US as a foreign information threat.
• The conference panel titled “USA as a FIMI threat” explored the US as a potential disinformation actor in Europe, prompting the US State Department to express gratitude to Lithuania for limiting its involvement and to lobby other countries to follow suit.
• Lithuania, Canada, and the EU cited misalignment of the conference program with their official views on the US role in disinformation as reasons for withdrawal, although the EU continues to fund the event despite removing its branding.
• France maintained its support for the conference, emphasizing its importance for civil society and European disinformation policy development, while the US State Department has increasingly influenced free speech and civil society in Europe, including awarding grants to groups aligned with Trump’s agenda.
• Lithuania’s withdrawal coincided with discussions about establishing a permanent US military base in the country, seen by Lithuanian officials as a crucial deterrent against Russia, with President Trump expressing openness to the proposal.