Earlier in Might, the Council of the EU suspended broadcasting actions inside the EU for 4 media retailers linked to Russia — Voice of Europe, RIA Novosti, Izvestia and Rossiyskaya Gazeta — accusing the retailers of spreading and supporting the Kremlin’s propaganda in its warfare in opposition to Ukraine.
“These media retailers are beneath the everlasting direct or oblique management of the management of the Russian Federation, and have been important and instrumental in bringing ahead and supporting Russia’s warfare of aggression in opposition to Ukraine, and for the destabilisation of its neighbouring international locations,” mentioned the Council of the EU in an announcement.
The information web site Voice of Europe in addition to Viktor Medvedchuk, an ally of Vladimir Putin, and Artem Marchevskyi, one other particular person concerned, have been all sanctioned by the Czech Republic on the finish of March for an alleged pro-Russian affect operation believed to be geared toward interfering within the EU’s June election.
“The Russian aspect has repeatedly warned at varied ranges that the politically motivated harassment of home journalists and unjustified bans on Russian media within the EU is not going to go unanswered,” the Kremlin’s assertion learn.
“Regardless of this, Brussels and the capitals of the bloc international locations most well-liked to observe the trail of escalation, forcing Moscow to take mirror and proportionate countermeasures with one other illegitimate ban,” it continued.
In March of 2022, the EU formally banned the Kremlin-backed media retailers RT and Sputnik in a transfer meant to crack down on Russian disinformation amid Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Within the occasion that the restrictions on the Russian media are lifted, the Russian aspect may even rethink its choice with regard to the above-mentioned media operators,” based on the Kremlin.
