Strategic Communication Cooperation Building Resilience Across the European Information Space
June 09, 2026
Kyiv/Lisbon – A high level delegation from Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD) participated in a strategic study visit to Portugal from 26 to 29 May 2026 that was jointly facilitated by EUAM Ukraine and the European Commission Representation in Portugal towards further strengthening practical cooperation between CCD and Portuguese stakeholders on strategic communications and information security.
The CCD delegation included department specialists engaged in daily efforts to identify and counter Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI). The study visit formed part of ongoing EUAM-CCD series of study visits form a strong bond of cooperation to enhance institutional capacities in line with European Union standards and best practices.
The CCD, operating as a working body of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, has accumulated significant practical experience in countering information threats since its establishment over four years ago. This expertise is highly valuable in a bilateral study visit to both learn as well as inform broader European Union efforts to strengthen resilience against FIMI.
“The visit was highly beneficial for our team, as it contributed to the establishment of closer professional contacts with Portuguese partners,” Deputy Head of CCD, Karolina Tymkiv emphasized.
The study visit aligns with EUAM Ukraine’s broader support for Ukraine’s civilian security sector reform. The visit to Portugal offered an opportunity for CCD to examine how Portugal as a key EU Member State partner structures its information security frameworks in accordance with European Union values and governance principles.
In exemplifying the EU integrated approach to combating FIMI the Deputy Head of European Commission Representation in Portugal Luís F. Loureiro de Amorim stated that “this study visit illustrated concretely the European Commission’s strong support to Ukraine and the importance given by our institution to countering disinformation and FIMI, to ensure our democratic resilience”.
The enhanced bilateral cooperation fostered in the study visit dovetailed with the emerging European Democracy Shield, which a strategic European Union initiative designed to reinforce the institutional arsenal against FIMI. In reflecting on how the Shield represents an extension of protective mechanisms that complement national capacities with EU-wide solidarity and shared resources Marc Liberati, Acting Head of Press and Public Information Division at EUAM Ukraine, highlighted that: “the Shield is not merely a defensive architecture but a unified fortress against FIMI. By embedding Ukrainian institutions within this reinforced European Union architecture, the Shield offers concrete operational support including access to early warning systems, coordinated response protocols, and pooled analytical resources that strengthen the CCD’s ability to identify and counter information threats. These extended mechanisms ensure that Ukraine’s frontline experience combating FIMI benefit from the protective umbrella of EU cooperation frameworks, transforming bilateral exchanges into permanent, structural support for democratic resilience.”
The study visit to Portugal represents one element of a broader programme of EUAM-Ukraine cooperation on strategic communications. As Ukraine progresses on its European Union path, practical cooperation on information security as a strategic communication tool will remain a priority area. The CCD’s experience demonstrates the value of sustained European Union engagement in building institutional resilience against FIMI and strengthening strategic communications.
