Kremlin threatens to close US news agencies in Russia
The Kremlin has warned again that some US media activities in Russia may be restricted in response to US pressure on Russian state media.
"Clearly, in case of further pressure and violation of our media rights, it is impossible to exclude reciprocal actions," the Russian President’s Press Secretary, Dmitry Peskov said on October 6th. This statement was the latest in a series of threats from Russian officials.
On September 30th, the Russian Federal Service for the Supervision of Communication, Information Technology, and Mass Media, known as Roskomnadzor, announced the initiation of a lawsuit against the US television channel, CNN International, for "violations of Russian media legislation," though did not specify what exactly these violations were.
On September 29th, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting with the permanent members of the Security Council of his country, during which, as reported in the Kremlin, they discussed, among other things, "the topic of constant and sometimes increasing pressure on Russian media in some countries" and noted "that such actions against them are unacceptable."
On the same day, the head of RT (Russia Today), Margarita Simonyan, stated that the registration of their channel in the US as a foreign agent "may cause such restrictions that they simply won’t allow them to work in the country." At the same time she expressed the opinion that Russia "will take similar measures" in response.
On September 28th, the Director of the Information and Press Department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, commenting on the US demand to RT to register as a foreign agent, stated that every US "hostile step towards the Russian media will have a proper response."
In the United States, there is a legal requirement to register as a foreign agent for any individual or legal entity that represents the interests of foreign states in a "political or quasi-political role." Such registration involves the disclosure of links with the foreign government and information on related activities and funding.
The Russian TV network RT (Russia Today), when broadcasting abroad, says it is independent, but firmly pursues the Kremlin's policy and is funded by the Russian budget. It was also exposed several times for the distribution of distorted or completely false information, which distorts the data on events in favor of Moscow's position. The television channel as well as the Russian state news agency, Sputnik, was named in the US intelligence report as active participants in the Russian campaign to interfere in the US Presidential Election in 2016 and as "supporters of corrupt political elite" in Russia. Moscow denies these accusations.