President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the decision of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) to impose sanctions against the owner of the TV channels 112 Ukraine, ZIK and NewsOne, as a result of which their broadcasting was terminated, is "legal, logical, justified and fair."
“And also - fully supported by the United States and the European Union, the G7 countries, which clearly see the difference between censorship and the protection of national interests,” Zelensky said in his video message.
He recalled that he himself worked for more than 20 years in television and "hates censorship", but made the decision to sanction on the basis of "good reasons."
According to him, these TV channels contained entire "information armies" that allegedly misled the Ukrainian population on issues such as land reform, utility tariffs and the war in Donbass.
RIA News
“Making money thanks to the war, they (the TV channels that fell under the restrictions -
RT
) convinced that there was really no war.
More precisely, there is, but it is civil.
No, not in the sense that the citizens of Ukraine and Russia are fighting.
And that this is our internal conflict.
Quarrel.
A little get-together, ”Zelensky said.
This was the main reason for the termination of broadcasting of the channels, the Ukrainian president explained.
“And no criticism of me as president.
Let's be honest - today, power comes from all channels.
But not all channels are subject to government sanctions, ”he added.
Zelensky said that the restrictions were introduced in accordance with the law "On Sanctions", adopted in 2014, as well as on the basis of the resolution of the Verkhovna Rada of 2018 and data from the Security Service of Ukraine.
According to a number of experts, in fact, Zelensky imposed sanctions against a number of TV channels precisely for political reasons.
As the head of the Ukrainian Analytical Center Oleksandr Okhrimenko recalled in an interview with RT, the closed media belonged to representatives of the Ukrainian opposition, the Opposition Platform - For Life (Opposition Platform - For Life) party, and recent sociological polls indicate the growing popularity of the political movement.
“This is what caused the closure of the TV channels.
Zelensky expects in this way to deprive the opposition party of broadcasting mouthpieces and reduce its popularity, ”the expert believes.
A similar point of view is shared by Vladimir Shapovalov, deputy director of the Institute of History and Politics at Moscow State Pedagogical University.
“Zelenskiy’s rating is decreasing, while HLE, on the contrary, is growing.
Therefore, the Ukrainian president, by his decision, tried to exclude the opposition agenda from the information field.
This is a matter of political competition, "said the source of RT.
"At the same time, it is possible that in this way Zelensky wants to demonstrate to the administration of the new US President Joe Biden that he is ready to take drastic steps against the Russian-speaking population and Russia itself," Shapovalov added.
Clearing the information field
As a reminder, on February 3, three large Ukrainian TV channels - 112 Ukraine, ZIK and NewsOne - stopped broadcasting.
The reason for the blocking of their work was the decree of the President of Ukraine No. 43/2021, which enacted a resolution of the National Security and Defense Council of the country on sanctions against a number of legal entities and the deputy of the Rada from the OPZH party Taras Kozak - it is he who owns the Novosti media holding, which includes the 112 Ukraine TV channels , ZIK and NewsOne.
In response to the blocking of TV channels, the OLE party adopted a resolution on February 4 to begin impeachment proceedings against Vladimir Zelensky.
“Instead of listening to people and solving their problems, the president and his“ servants ”began to fight the unwanted ones ... Only the impeachment of the president and a complete reboot of power can stop the country's fall into the abyss,” Yury Boyko, co-chairman of the HLP, told reporters.
Taras Kozak, Rada deputy from the Opposition Platform for Life (OPLZ) party
© Newsone
In turn, the press secretary of Zelensky, Yulia Mendel, said that the television channels were also closed due to the fact that they were allegedly funded from Russia.
She wrote about this on Facebook, but did not provide any evidence.
The sanctions are imposed for five years and include the freezing of assets of the deputy, as well as the cancellation or suspension of licenses belonging to his media.
In addition, the restrictions imply a ban on the provision of services for relaying and using radio frequencies.
Now the TV channels banned by the authorities continue to broadcast on YouTube, however, the Ukrainian authorities have already turned to video hosting and Google with a request to close the access of media outlets banned in the country to their sites.
On February 5, Deputy Minister of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine Taras Shevchenko announced this on the air of the Dom TV channel.
Zelensky's decision was criticized by the chairman of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine Serhiy Tomilenko.
On his Facebook page, he called the blocking of media an attack on freedom of expression, promising to report the situation to the International Federation of Journalists, the European Federation of Journalists and the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media.
The UN Human Rights Office expressed their concern over the decision: "We are concerned that this will affect freedom of expression in Ukraine."
At the same time, the US Embassy in Kiev immediately announced its support for Zelensky's decision to impose sanctions on three TV channels: “The US supports efforts to counter the malicious influence of Russia, made ... by Ukraine in defense of its sovereignty and territorial integrity and in accordance with Ukrainian law.”
At the same time, American diplomats denied the assumption that they advised the Ukrainian leadership to close the objectionable media outlets.
A representative of the embassy said this in response to a request from RIA Novosti.
"Political fiasco"
For its part, the European Union is in no hurry to publicly endorse Kiev's actions.
Earlier, the representative of the EU Foreign Service Peter Stano said that Brussels is studying the possible consequences of this step by the Ukrainian authorities.
“We are assessing the consequences of this decision.
As stipulated by the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU, the European Union attaches paramount importance to the independence and freedom of the media, "Stano said in an interview with TASS.
However, according to Oleksandr Okhrimenko, the Ukrainian authorities must have consulted with their Western partners before imposing sanctions against the Ukrainian media.
But publicly, the EU avoids supporting this decision because it runs counter to European values.
“There were no precedents for such a closure of the media before in Ukraine, this is a new phenomenon even for her,” the expert added.
The building of the US Embassy in Kiev
RIA News
A similar point of view is shared by Vladimir Shapovalov: “The decision of Kiev does not in any way correlate with the values postulated in the West.
Zelensky in this case completely discredits himself and destroys his image of a democrat politician.
By and large, this is Zelensky's political fiasco. "
The RT source in the Batkivshchyna party believes that what is happening now in Ukraine is unacceptable for a civilized country.
“Who should determine whether this or that TV channel is providing“ correct ”or“ incorrect ”information?
The methods of combating dissent in Ukraine are increasingly reminiscent of medieval methods.
And this is accompanied by deafening silence from Western partners who tell us about democratic values, ”the source said.
Kiev's actions were condemned in Moscow.
According to the press secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov, the ban on the activities of TV channels does not comply with "neither international norms and standards, nor the general understanding of freedom of the media."
“We can only condemn these actions of the Ukrainian authorities in this case,” Peskov told reporters.
In turn, the former president of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, generally supported Zelensky's decision, but recalled the legal norms.
Speaking about why he himself did not block the broadcasting of these channels, Poroshenko said that he postponed this issue until the end of the presidential elections, which Zelensky won.
“And, by the way, all three TV channels supported him,” Poroshenko added.
The ex-president noted that during his presidency he "adhered to the rule of law" even when solving complex political problems.
“And it (right. -
RT
) directly prohibits sanctions against Ukrainian individuals and legal entities, except for involvement in the financing of terrorism.
The legal purity of decisions also matters, albeit not for Ukrainian courts, but for the European Court for sure, "he wrote on Facebook.
Gloomy forecast
However, the Ukrainian authorities do not plan to stop at blocking opposition media.
Speaking on February 5 on the “Freedom of Speech by Savik Shuster” program, the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksiy Danilov announced new sanctions.
According to him, restrictions will be introduced against "a certain category of individuals and legal entities."
“Moreover, I can say that there will be a number of deputies who sit in the Verkhovna Rada today.
We have more than enough arguments to introduce.
And if someone thinks that it was a one-time action, then he is deeply mistaken, ”Danilov threatened.
NSDC Secretary of Ukraine Oleksiy Danilov
© president.gov.ua
Experts have no doubt that the Ukrainian authorities will fulfill their threats and launch an attack on the opposition parliamentary deputies.
“Kiev is ready to go far - this is evidenced by the already held attempt on freedom of speech.
These are not empty threats, but a warning about further reprisals against opponents.
Not to mention that the imposition of sanctions against their own citizens and legal entities is legal nonsense, ”said Vladimir Shapovalov.
According to a RT source in the Servant of the People party, deputies and businessmen who oppose the ban on TV channels can now really face pressure from the authorities - from blocking accounts to arresting businesses.
“But these sanctions are illegal and can be challenged in court.
The SBU is trying to prove that the TV channels 112 Ukraine, ZIK and NewsOne received funding from Russia.
But I would not blindly believe such statements, knowing about the “quality” of the SBU's work, ”the source said.
As Oleksandr Okhrimienko explained, the imposition of sanctions against the Rada deputy may result in the deprivation of his mandate.
And this will have direct political consequences for Ukraine.
“I do not exclude that Zelensky will really resort to such methods in the fight against political opponents.
In fact, the Constitution of Ukraine ceased to operate even after the "Euromaidan".
And now Zelensky is trying with all his might to show that he is able to tightly control everything that happens in the country, ”the expert summed up.