Conflicts & War

Ukraine war dominates Doha Forum

Doha, Mar 26 (EFE).- Russia’s invasion of Ukraine dominated discussions at the Doha Forum Saturday, with the host of the meeting, the Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad al Zani, expressing his support for Kyiv.

“I emphasize Qatar’s firm stance in renouncing violence against civilians and other countries, as well as everything that involves the violation of human rights and international laws,” the Qatari emir said at the opening after mentioning the war in Ukraine, while also referring to “the millions of Palestinians who are suffering from Israel’s occupation and international neglect for decades.”

The Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emine Dzhaparova, took part in a forum on disinformation and said that a prime example of this new threat is how Russia has sought to downplay the invasion by describing it as a “special military operation”.

Dzhaparova, a former television journalist, said that Russia was devoting ever more resources to manipulating and controlling the spread of information, warning that an “information war” was being waged.

“It is like radiation – you don’t feel it, you don’t touch it, but it affects you,” she said.

“The classic Russian propaganda is to make you doubt, not to know what is true and what is not,” Dzhaparova added.

The deputy foreign minister also praised efforts by big tech companies to curb the spread of fake news online, but said “more needs to be done.”

The Forum also saw Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who made a surprise appearance by video link, and the EU’s chief diplomat, Josep Borrell, urging reforms of international law to better stave off future conflicts.

The Doha Forum, an Arab version of the Davos Forum, concludes on Sunday. EFE

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