Propaganda as a Weapon: Key Insights from the JustTalk Podcast and Article with LingvaLexa and Partners

In modern warfare, words increasingly operate no less effectively than weapons. This logic is well captured by a line from the film Wag the Dog — “He can’t end the war; he’s not a producer.” Today, it sounds less like satire and more like an accurate description of a reality in which information processes do not merely accompany war but actively shape its course.

This theme is at the center of the latest episode of the #JustTalk_Context podcast by JustTalk, which explores how propaganda shapes worldviews, perceptions of the legitimacy of war, and the willingness to participate in it. In the discussion, lawyer Daria Svyrydova speaks with Anna Vyshniakova, Head of NGO LingvaLexa; Olena Metelkina, Deputy Head of a Department within the War Crimes Unit of the Office of the Prosecutor General; and Rena Marutian, Director of the Institute of National Resilience and Security - experts working at the intersection of international law, psychology, and security.

A central question of the discussion is how to demonstrate the impact of propaganda not declaratively, but through measurable indicators. The conversation moves beyond general claims about “information influence” and focuses on concrete mechanisms: how propaganda constructs perceptions of war as “lawful” or “justified,” how these perceptions shape behavioral decisions, and why perceived legitimacy becomes a key driver of willingness to engage in hostilities.

In this context, propaganda is considered not merely as a tool of influence, but as a potentially significant element within the structure of international crimes. In particular, the discussion addresses whether propaganda can be qualified as a form of complicity in the crime of aggression, and how it may be integrated into the legal framework of crimes against humanity, including persecution.

These approaches are further developed in the article by Anna Vyshniakova “Words as a Weapon: Ensuring Accountability for Crimes Related to Propaganda”, published on the JustTalk platform. The article argues that propaganda should not be seen as a secondary phenomenon or merely an informational backdrop, but as a systemic process that creates the conditions for aggression even before active hostilities begin and sustains it throughout.

Propaganda, in this sense, does not only produce narratives - it shapes the very framework through which reality is perceived, making war appear acceptable or even necessary. It thus performs multiple functions simultaneously - cognitive, moral, and motivational, and becomes part of the mechanism that facilitates participation in war.

Accordingly, the question of accountability cannot be limited to individual public figures. If propaganda is understood as a process, then potential responsibility extends to a broader range of actors—from those who design narratives to those who produce, adapt, and disseminate them.

Both materials the podcast and the article ultimately address the same core challenge: how to move the discussion of propaganda from abstract assessments to evidence-based analysis and legal consequences. At the same time, they demonstrate that without such a shift, it becomes increasingly difficult to speak meaningfully about accountability in modern warfare.

These materials are part of an advocacy campaign aimed at ensuring accountability for crimes related to propaganda, implemented with the support of the Askold and Dir Fund as a part of the Strong Civil Society of Ukraine - a Driver towards Reforms and Democracy project, implemented by ISAR Ednannia, funded by Norway and Sweden. The content of these materials is the sole responsibility of NGO LingvaLexa and does not necessarily reflect the views of the governments of Norway or Sweden, or ISAR Ednannia.