Ukraine Embassy Calls for Cancellation of Russian Propaganda Film in Belgium

Ukraine’s diplomats in Belgium have called on Brussels authorities to block the screening of a documentary they describe as Russian propaganda, marking another chapter in the ongoing information war surrounding the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The Ukrainian Embassy made its appeal through a statement on X (formerly Twitter), urging officials to prevent the showing of “Ukraine-Russie, derrière l’écran de fumée” (“Ukraine-Russia, behind the smokescreen”), a documentary they characterize as dangerous misinformation.

“The Embassy of Ukraine to the Kingdom of Belgium strongly condemns the planned screening of the propaganda documentary and draws the attention of the public and relevant Belgian authorities to yet another attempt to spread disinformation related to Russian military aggression against Ukraine,” the statement read.

The screening, organized by media group Kairos Presse under editor-in-chief Alexandre Penasse, was scheduled for March 19. According to the embassy, this event follows a pattern of similar attempts to screen contentious material about the conflict in European capitals.

Ukrainian officials pointed to a January 31 event titled “Carnets de Russie” that was canceled after authorities intervened, and similar cancellations in Portugal earlier this month due to what was deemed propaganda content.

The embassy’s statement was unequivocal in its assessment of the documentary’s purpose: “The documentary serves as a direct tool of information warfare, systematically distorting the reality of Russian military aggression against Ukraine, whitewashing documented war crimes, and promoting narratives designed to justify the illegal occupation of Ukrainian territories and undermine international support for Ukraine.”

Of particular concern to Ukrainian officials is that the film includes footage from trips to Russia and temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories—visits that, according to the embassy, violate both Ukrainian law and international legal principles when conducted without Kyiv’s authorization.

The statement also highlighted what it called “deliberate concealment tactics” by the organizers, who allegedly withhold screening locations until 24-48 hours before events to avoid scrutiny and potential intervention by authorities.

This case illustrates the broader information battleground that has emerged alongside the physical conflict. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022, European countries have grappled with how to balance free speech principles with concerns about Russian information operations designed to influence public opinion and undermine support for Ukraine.

The embassy framed the issue in terms of democratic values, stating that providing a platform for “narratives that relativize aggression, deny responsibility for war crimes, and serve the information interests of an aggressor state is incompatible with democratic values, the rule of law, and the principles upon which Belgium and the European Union are founded.”

The incident occurs against a backdrop of increasing concern about Russian cultural influence across Europe. Ukraine’s ambassador to Belgium, Yaroslav Melnyk, has previously warned about the growing number of Russian cultural events in Belgium and other European countries, suggesting these events often serve to normalize the Putin regime’s actions.

Several European countries have taken measures to limit Russian state media and propaganda since the invasion began, including the EU’s ban on Russia Today and Sputnik in March 2022. However, these efforts face ongoing challenges as content finds new distribution channels and formats.

The dispute highlights the continuing importance of information warfare in modern conflicts, where battles for public opinion can be as strategically significant as those on the physical battlefield.