The United States has expressed concerns over a European conference on disinformation, leading to the withdrawal of official support from Lithuania, Canada, and the European Union. The conference, titled #Disinfo2026, is scheduled to take place in Vilnius, Lithuania, on October 7 and 8, gathering experts to discuss disinformation and strategies to counteract information manipulation.

In the days leading up to the event, the logos representing Lithuania’s Foreign Ministry, Canada’s Global Affairs department, and the European External Action Service were removed from the list of conference supporters. This action followed interactions between US officials and the governments involved, with internal US documents indicating approval of Lithuania’s decision to reduce its participation. Lithuania cited that parts of the conference did not align with the government’s official stance.

Canada adjusted its involvement after changes were made to the framing of some panel discussions, although Canadian officials were still present at the event. The EU also withdrew its official support, mentioning that certain discussions did not align with its official viewpoints, even as it continued to provide funding for the conference.

Central to the controversy was a panel discussion considering the possibility of the United States being a source of foreign information manipulation and interference. This sparked a debate about how European entities could independently enhance their responses to information threats.

The situation has underscored differing perspectives among Western countries regarding the definition of foreign information threats and managing criticism within international forums. While some nations pulled back their support, France maintained its backing for the conference, emphasizing the importance of engaging with civil society to shape European disinformation policies.