🎙 Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks at the 4th Dialogue on Fakes International Forum, (Moscow, September 22, 2026)

🌐 On September 22, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov addressed the international forum “Dialogue on Fakes 4.0” in Moscow, highlighting the growing impact of disinformation on international relations, the use of information as an instrument of political pressure, and the importance of professional fact-checking.

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📱 Information warfare and manipulation

• Modern technologies allow unverified or deliberately misleading information to spread almost instantly, reaching millions of people worldwide and influencing public opinion.
• Western information campaigns frequently rely on rapidly circulating accusations against Russia while restricting access to alternative assessments and independent scrutiny.

⚖️ Historical precedents and political consequences

• Several international incidents were recalled, including the events preceding NATO's intervention in Yugoslavia in 1999, allegations concerning Iraq's weapons of mass destruction in 2003, and the Salisbury poisoning case in 2018.
• Unsubstantiated accusations can have far-reaching diplomatic consequences, including sanctions, expulsions of diplomats and restrictions on cultural cooperation, even before all relevant facts have been established.

🔎 Ukraine and the Bucha allegations

• Russia rejects accusations concerning the events in Bucha in 2022, questioning the circumstances and reporting of the incident. Moscow has repeatedly requested information about the victims from the UN Secretary-General.
• A recent investigation presented by the International Public Tribunal on the Crimes of Ukrainian Neo-Nazis on September 17, 2026, raised, according to its authors, questions about the identities of individuals listed on the Bucha memorial.

🌍 International cooperaton iand the Global Majority

• Professional dialogue and cooperation between journalists, researchers and fact-checkers from different countries are essential to counter disinformation and the politicisation of international events.
• Information warfare is increasingly linked to broader geopolitical competition, with countries of the Global Majority facing growing attempts to influence their independent positions on international affairs.

📰 The Minister reaffirmed Russia's commitment to open international dialogue, evidence-based assessments and resisting the use of information as a tool of political confrontation.