The U.S. state department funds Ukrainian "round-table" that labels war critics terrorists.

Another Dangerous attack on free speech from the state department.

Recently Ukraine’s Centre for Countering Disinformation hosted a roundtable discussion on countering disinformation that included “state authorities, public organizations, mass media, and international experts”. The Ukrainian government’s press release on this event contains some extremely concerning content. The press release quotes Andrii Shapovalov the head of the Center for Combating Disinformation calling those who question the Ukraine proxy war “information terrorists”. The Press release even goes as far as to say those who peddle “disinformation” about Ukraine should be prosecuted for war crimes.

The press release goes on to say the event was supported by the U.S state department. According to Scott Ritter who reported on this story for Consortium News, some U.S. state department officials sat in attendance at this meeting.

The Centre for Countering Disinformation had been open about who they think is spreading misinformation about Ukriane and it is Americans who are critical of the Western proxy war and question the official narrative on Ukraine. They put out a list of who they consider “Russian propagandists” that includes

Rand Paul: The Kentucky senator who initially blocked the passage of a bill giving $40 billion in aid to Ukraine until it included more oversight as to where the weapons were going.

John Mearsheimer: An international relations scholar and professor at the University of Chicago who argues the West’s support of the 2014 Maidan Coup and NATO expansion led to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. His lecture detailing this titled “Why is Ukraine the West's Fault?” blew up during the invasion and now has 27 million views on Youtube.

Glenn Greenwald: The famous journalist and critic of U.S. foreign policy and the national security state who has pushed back on the western narrative of the Ukraine war.

Tulsi Gabbard: The former Hawaii Representative who has criticized current American policy towards Russia including the 40 billion aid package to Ukraine and sanctions.

As Newsweek reported the list includes several other Americans including:

political and business advisor Harlan Ullman, author Paul Pillar, economists Jeffrey Sachs and Steve Hanke, political analyst Brian Berletic, academics Patrick Basham and Clifford Kiracofe, former army officer David Payne, ex-diplomat Michael Springmann, retired intelligence officer Scott Ritter, finance specialist Jason Ross, businessman Mike Callicrate, politicians Geoff Young and Diane Sare, journalists Caleb Maupin and Tony Magliano, retired business consultant George Koo, Republican former Senate staffer Jim Jatras, former CIA officer Ray McGovern, former Virginia State Senator Richard Black and political analyst Graham Fuller.

This is a clear threat to free speech and a violation of the first amendment. The State Department is funding and attending a roundtable discussion that is pushing the idea that dissenting American journalists, politicians, and academics should be designated as terrorists and prosecuted as war criminals.

Academic and American foreign policy critic Noam Chomsky has said this Ukraine war has resulted in the most censorship against dissent in the West he has seen in his lifetime including during the second world war. Stories like this go to show he is exactly right in his analysis.