Foreign states using AI videos to undermine support for Ukraine, says Yvette Cooper
Yvette Cooper warned that hostile states are flooding social media with AI‑manipulated videos to weaken Western support for Ukraine. She called the campaign an "information warfare" that exploits generative AI to sow division and undermine democratic debate.
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper warned on Tuesday that foreign actors are exploiting generative artificial intelligence to spread deep‑fake videos aimed at eroding Western support for Ukraine. In a speech marking the centenary of the 1925 Locarno Treaties, Cooper described the activity as a new form of "information warfare" that threatens both the Ukraine conflict and the stability of democratic societies across Europe.
AI‑driven propaganda and the Russian disinformation network
Cooper said that a growing number of hostile states are using AI‑generated content to launch coordinated campaigns on social platforms. The United Kingdom, she noted, has already identified a Russian‑run disinformation operation known as "Doppelgänger" that has previously circulated false claims about the health of the Princess of Wales and alleged Western financing of Israel. According to British officials, the same network now produces forged video clips, synthetic audio and fabricated documents to influence public opinion and policy debates.
The rapid diffusion of these deep‑fake materials, Cooper argued, lowers the technical barrier for state‑sponsored actors. "Where once malign actors needed skilled forgers and sophisticated media plants, today anyone with a laptop can create convincing video that appears to come from a credible source," she told the audience. The result, she warned, is a flood of misinformation that can subtly shift attitudes toward Ukraine, making the public less willing to sustain military aid or humanitarian assistance.
Broader hybrid threats across Europe
Cooper placed the AI campaign within a wider pattern of hybrid threats that include cyber‑attacks, physical sabotage and economic coercion. She cited recent incidents in Moldova, where fake websites mimicking the ruling PAS party posted invented policies such as raising the retirement age and extending compulsory military service. Similar tactics have been observed in other Eastern European elections, where disinformation seeks to polarise voters on issues like migration, gender rights and climate policy.
"These are not legitimate debates," Cooper emphasized. "They are manufactured controversies designed to distract and divide, allowing hostile regimes to advance their own strategic interests without direct confrontation." By targeting hot‑button topics, foreign disinformation actors aim to weaken the social fabric of NATO members, thereby reducing the political will to confront Russian aggression in Ukraine.
Political context: Ukraine peace talks and Western unity
The warning came at a sensitive moment in the Ukraine war. Former U.S. President Donald Trump has recently revived calls for a negotiated settlement between Moscow and Kyiv, prompting a flurry of diplomatic activity in Washington and London. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Downing Street, alongside French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, to discuss continued military aid and the prospects for a peace framework.
Cooper herself spent Monday in Washington, where she met U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Both officials reiterated the need for a unified Western response to Russian aggression and to the parallel information campaign. Cooper warned that if the public becomes desensitised to fabricated narratives, the collective resolve to support Ukraine’s resistance could crumble, giving Moscow a strategic advantage without firing a shot.
What governments can do
In her remarks, Cooper called for an international coalition to counter AI‑enabled disinformation. She urged allied nations to share intelligence on deep‑fake production, develop rapid‑response fact‑checking mechanisms, and impose sanctions on entities that facilitate the creation of synthetic media for hostile purposes. The Foreign Office also suggested that social‑media platforms improve detection algorithms and label manipulated content more transparently.
Beyond technical solutions, Cooper highlighted the importance of media literacy. "Citizens must be equipped to question the source and authenticity of the videos they encounter," she said. Educational campaigns, she argued, should be coordinated across schools, workplaces and public broadcasters to build resilience against manipulation.
Looking ahead
The speech concluded with a call for vigilance. While the Locarno Treaties celebrated a century of diplomatic effort to prevent another continental war, Cooper warned that the tools of conflict have evolved. The battle now extends into the digital realm, where synthetic media can be weaponised as quickly as artillery. She urged policymakers to treat AI‑driven propaganda with the same urgency as conventional military threats, noting that the future of European security may depend on how effectively democracies can protect the integrity of public discourse.
Why it matters
The spread of AI‑generated disinformation threatens to weaken Western backing for Ukraine and destabilise democratic debate across Europe, potentially reshaping the geopolitical balance in the Russia‑Ukraine war.
Key points
- Foreign states are using AI‑generated deep‑fake videos to undermine support for Ukraine
- The UK has identified a Russian disinformation network called Doppelgänger that now employs synthetic media
- Hybrid threats extend beyond propaganda to cyber attacks and fake political websites in Moldova and elsewhere
- Cooper calls for an international coalition to share intelligence, improve platform detection and boost media literacy
- The timing coincides with renewed diplomatic talks on a Ukraine peace deal and heightened US‑UK coordination
Frequently asked questions
What is the "Doppelgänger" network?
Doppelgänger is a Russian‑run disinformation operation identified by the UK Foreign Office that spreads false narratives, including forged documents and deep‑fake content, to influence public opinion in Western countries.
How does AI make disinformation easier?
Generative AI tools can create realistic video, audio and text with minimal technical skill, allowing state actors to produce large volumes of convincing false material quickly and cheaply.
What steps is the UK proposing to combat AI disinformation?
The UK is urging allies to share intelligence on synthetic media, impose sanctions on facilitators, improve platform detection and labeling, and launch widespread media‑literacy campaigns.
Why is the timing of Cooper's warning significant?
It comes as diplomatic efforts intensify around a potential Ukraine peace deal and as the US and UK coordinate their response to both the war and the parallel information campaign.
