Moscow has decided to block 81 independent European Union-based media outlets in a retaliatory move after the EU placed a ban on several Russian publications.
Knewz.com has learned that the blocked list of EU media outlets includes magazines, public broadcasters, and newspapers from 25 out of 27 member states of the union.
The ban, which will be imposed on June 25, was announced by the Russian Foreign Ministry in an official statement shared by the state-affiliated news outlet TASS.
The statement clarified that this move is in “response to the decision made by the EU Council on May 17 to ban ‘all broadcast activity’ of three Russian media outlets (RIA Novosti, Izvestia, and Rossiyskaya Gazeta).”
“Counter restrictions are being introduced on access from the territory of the Russian Federation to broadcasting a number of media outlets of EU member states and EU-wide media operators.”
The statement further claimed that the Western outlets “systematically disseminate false information about the progress of the special military operation [i.e. the Ukraine war],” per TASS.
The outlet further reported that the blocked media outlets from the EU include Germany’s Spiegel, Zeit, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Spain’s El Pais, the Italian La Stampa, La Repubblica, French media Le Monde, Liberation, as well as the pan-European Politico and EUobserver.
The statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry pointed towards previous warnings made by the Vladimir Putin administration regarding “politically motivated harassment of domestic journalists and unfounded bans on Russian media in the EU,” adding that these actions “will not go unanswered.”
“Despite this, Brussels and the capitals of the bloc [EU] countries chose to take the path of escalation, forcing Moscow to take tit-for-tat and proportional countermeasures to this latest illegal ban,” the statement read, via TASS.
“Responsibility for such a development of events lies solely with the leadership of the European Union and the countries of this association that supported such a decision.”
Vera Jourova, the Vice President of the European Commission, commented on Russia’s move, calling it a “nonsense retaliation.”
“Propaganda outlets funded by Russia to spread disinformation as part of Russia’s military doctrine are not the same as independent media,” Jourova said in a statement, via BBC News.
The Italian Foreign Ministry also criticized the Russian retaliation, saying that blocking this rather long list of Western media outlets “will not erase the effects of a violent, devastating, and illegal war,” while the United States claimed that Russia is “afraid of their own people hearing the truth,” per BBC.
Notably, the Foreign Ministry of Russia has vowed to reconsider its decision to impose a ban on the 81 media outlets if the Western bloc revokes the blockade on Russian publications.
According to BBC, the state-backed Russian news channel RT had its license to broadcast revoked in the EU shortly after the Ukraine war commenced.
The Moscow Times noted that Russia has banned numerous independent international and domestic media outlets since the beginning of the invasion, and “labeled some popular Western social media platforms as “extremist” and effectively criminalized any criticism of its war in Ukraine.”
The latest development came within days of Russia blaming the U.S. for its hand in the deadly Ukrainian attack on Sevastopol, occupied Crimea, warning that there would be dire “consequences.”
The Ukrainian strike, believed to have been carried out using U.S.-supplied long-range missiles, killed four people, including two children, per authorities. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov called the strike on Sevastopol “barbaric” and accused the U.S. of “killing Russian children.”
“Naturally, the US’ direct involvement in combat which resulted in Russian civilians dying cannot go without any consequences. Time will tell which ones precisely,” Peskov told reporters on June 24 when asked about possible Russian retaliation to Sunday’s strike.
Russia has claimed that its air defense downed four of the five missiles Ukraine launched at Sevastopol, while the fifth one wreaked havoc in the city, per TASS.
“Ukraine attacked civilian infrastructure in Sevastopol using ATACMS tactical missiles equipped with cluster munitions on Sunday. While four missiles were downed, a fifth one exploded over the city,” TASS wrote at the time.
“Four people, including two children, were killed in the attack, with over 150 others being injured, according to the local governor.”
The post Kremlin Blocks 81 Independent Publications Following EU Ban on Russian Media Outlets appeared first on Knewz.
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Author: Samyarup Chowdhury
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