Russian Propaganda Film Cancelled in Brussels

A planned screening in Brussels was cancelled after concerns that the film was not a neutral documentary, but part of a broader propaganda pattern. In this video, we explain why this case is not really about censorship. It is about propaganda entering democratic space disguised as truth-telling. It is about manipulation, reversal, and the normalization of hate speech in the heart of Europe. The controversy around this screening did not emerge in a vacuum. It happened in the context of secrecy around the venue, repeated framing of Ukrainians as “neo-Nazis,” and a wider political narrative that turns the aggressor into a liberator, the victim into an extremist, and war into “peace.” We also explain why occupation is not peace under international law, why entering occupied territory at the invitation of the occupier is not a neutral journalistic act, and why this rhetoric is so dangerous in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine. This is also a warning about how propaganda tries to expand: from one screening to public debate, from public debate to institutions, and from institutions to political influence. Freedom of speech is a democratic value. But Europe also knows that incitement to hatred, dehumanization, and warmongering are not protected in the same way under human rights law. If this matters to you, watch, share, and speak up.