The fight against disinformation coming from Russia and increased support for Ukraine are on the agenda of the discussions of the French, German and Polish foreign ministers this Monday.
The new head of French diplomacy Stéphane Séjourné invited his German counterparts Annalena Baerbock and Polish Radoslaw Sikorski to a meeting in “Weimar” format at the Château de La Celle-Saint-Cloud (Yvelines).
This historic place, owned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, once hosted Queen Elizabeth II and “First Lady” Jacqueline Kennedy.
Tomorrow, FM @sikorskiradek will meet with his counterparts from 🇩🇪 @ABaerbock and 🇫🇷 @steph_sejourne as part of the Weimar Triangle.
The agenda will include the support for 🇺🇦, the upcoming #NATO summit and the problem of Russian disinformation.
More➡️ https://t.co/Lj2GlJx9Le pic.twitter.com/aCm2EMaCEt
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs 🇵🇱 (@PolandMFA) February 11, 2024
“Victims of the same destabilization strategy”
On Monday, France, Germany and Poland will unveil new cooperation against foreign disinformation operations, particularly coming from Russia, Stéphane Séjourné announced this weekend.
In addition, the ministers will jointly report new information attacks launched by Moscow against the three countries.
“Our three countries have been victims of the same destabilization strategy.
On Monday, we will make announcements on new cooperation against disinformation and Russian information attacks,” declared Stéphane Séjourné in an interview with the French regional daily Ouest-France, published on Saturday.
So far, the attacks have been launched via troll factories and fake news sites.
“We will transparently reveal to public opinion the instruments of this disinformation.
We will reveal attacks that are committed.
And with evidence,” he assured, also noting “concordant elements which indicate that there are dormant operations.
Tools that can be activated at any time, particularly during an election” in the three countries.
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According to Stéphane Séjourné, these attacks aim to divide public opinion instead of dividing the leaders of the European Union who intend to continue their support for Ukraine in war against Russia.
The very day he took office, the minister hammered it home: “helping Ukraine means guaranteeing the victory of democracy”.
It was kyiv that the minister chose for his first official trip before going to Berlin and Warsaw.
The timing is propitious for this meeting, as Poland has been led, since its electoral victory in October, by a pro-European coalition led by the former head of the European Council Donald Tusk, according to the French and German sides.
The war in Gaza also on the table
Paris, Berlin and Warsaw believe that enhanced cooperation within the framework of the Weimar triangle is a means of consolidating Europe's position on the international scene and responding more effectively to common challenges.
Because between them, their weight is considerable both geographically - since they represent Western Europe, Central Europe and Eastern Europe - and demographically with some 200 million inhabitants, almost half of the EU population.
The weight of these three countries is also military (more than a quarter of the EU's military spending) and political with broad representation.
On Monday, there will also be talk of the Middle East and the war in Gaza, another major subject of concern which for a time seemed to eclipse the war in Ukraine.
Stéphane Séjourné, who was very recently in the region, will discuss with his counterparts the fight against terrorism, the release of hostages including three French people still held in the Gaza Strip, sanctions against the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas and against violent Israeli settlers in the West Bank, the humanitarian ceasefire or even possible initiatives to avoid regional escalation.
A joint statement should be issued at the end of this meeting and a press conference is planned for 5:15 p.m.