US Pulls Out of Disinformation Fight, Ending Global Engagement Center Agreement

The United States has notified European countries of its withdrawal from joint efforts to combat disinformation from Russia, China, and Iran, three European officials told the Financial Times, Orda.kz reports.

Last week, European governments received a State Department notice ending the memorandums of understanding signed under the Biden administration.

These memorandums were part of the Global Engagement Center (GEC), a State Department agency that countered disinformation spread by U.S. adversaries and terrorist groups abroad. Created in 2011 to fight terrorist propaganda and violent extremism online, the center later expanded its mission to tracking foreign disinformation campaigns.

In December, it was shut down after Republican skeptics in Congress blocked attempts to renew its mandate.

James Rubin, who led the center until its closure, called the move “a unilateral act of disarmament in the information war with Russia and China,” adding that “information warfare is a reality of our time, and artificial intelligence will only multiply its risks.”

According to Rubin, about 22 countries in Europe and Africa signed agreements with the U.S. over the past year.

These agreements formed part of the Biden administration’s broader framework for countering foreign state-led manipulation, aimed at building a common understanding of the threat and coordinating action with partner nations.