President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree approving the country's information security strategy, which was adopted by the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) on October 15.

The corresponding document has been published on the official website of the head of state's office.

In particular, the document spelled out the need to oppose Russia in the information sphere.

At the same time, the strategy says that Moscow's information policy allegedly poses a threat not only to Ukraine, but also to "other democratic states."

They intend to resist it in Kiev with sanctions and the introduction of responsibility for their violation.

At Bankova, they are also going to fight the "information dominance" of Russia in the uncontrolled territories, with an increase in the number of global disinformation campaigns, with a low level of media literacy in society and with "attempts to manipulate the consciousness of Ukrainian citizens" regarding the country's European and Euro-Atlantic integration.

Own journalism

The strategy states that Moscow uses methods of "total suppression of freedom of speech, control over the editorial policy of the media and other information resources that operate in these territories" (meaning the territories of the LPR and DPR).

At the same time, the Kiev authorities claim that they intend to improve the regulation of the conditions for the activities of journalists in order to protect them. 

Thus, the strategy notes that an urgent problem is cases of interference in the professional activities of the media and their employees, as well as encroachments on their freedom in the form of obstruction of work, threats, violence and encroachment on the life and property of journalists.

"This deprives journalists of the opportunity to properly inform the society about socially important events and phenomena," - follows from the document.

At the same time, as experts note, the authorities themselves act as actors restricting freedom of speech in the country. So, in parallel with the approval of the information security strategy, Zelensky approved the sanctions proposed by the NSDC against three media companies, which include opposition TV channels. Among them are Time Media LLC (the First Independent TV channel, which was created by the journalists of the previously closed resources 112 Ukraine, NewsOne and ZIK), Teleprostir LLC (owned by Nestor Shufrych) and the Novosti media holding (it includes 112 Ukraine, NewsOne and ZIK).

Restrictions against them are introduced for a period of five years. Companies are prohibited from using the radio frequency resources of Ukraine, the provision of telecommunication services and the use of public telecommunication networks are limited or suspended for them. In addition, residents of foreign states and persons who are controlled by these residents or act in the interests of foreign states are prohibited from privatizing or leasing state property. In addition, in accordance with the restrictions, foreign citizens in these companies are denied visas and the existing ones are canceled.

At the same time, Zelensky's decree on restrictions No. 684/2021 refers to the decision of the NSDC of December 28.

However, there are no reports on the council's website about a meeting on this topic.

It is only reported that a meeting of the NSDC was to be held on December 29 by order of Zelensky, but then it was postponed to December 30.

In this regard, there are suggestions in the Ukrainian media space that no NSDC meeting was held, but only an imitation of it, in order to block objectionable TV channels as soon as possible.

  • Independence Square in Kiev

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In particular, a source in the Batkivshchyna party told RT that there were no announcements of the NSDC meeting on sanctions.

“We know that the department collected information and analyzed the work of opposition TV channels.

They have been collecting dirt on them for a long time.

But such actions simply went beyond what was permissible.

It turns out that it is forbidden to criticize the authorities, ”the RT interlocutor explained.

In turn, the "European Solidarity" noted that Zelensky is trying by all means to stop the decline in his rating.

“All those who criticize the work of the head of state and his accomplices are enemies of the people.

They are not allowed to work.

This is no longer a democracy, but an authoritarian regime.

There has always been a mess in Ukraine, but there hasn't been such lawlessness for a long time, "said a RT source in the party.

Elimination of competitors

The Opposition Platform - For Life party has already called the new sanctions "a slap in the face of European politicians and journalists who declared the inadmissibility of reprisals against the media," an outrage against the country's Constitution and reprisals against freedom of speech. In the OPSZ they pointed out the fact of the illegality of any restrictions in relation to companies that are Ukrainian legal entities. They explained that they cannot be covered by the Law "On Sanctions", because it states that restrictions can be imposed only in relation to "a foreign state, a foreign legal entity, a legal entity under the control of a foreign legal entity, or an individual - non-residents, foreigners, stateless persons, as well as subjects carrying out terrorist activities. "

The HLS reminded that the laws and the Constitution prohibit restricting the rights and freedoms of citizens until their guilt is proven and established by a court decision.

Thus, the president cannot stop the work of TV channels without the permission of the court.

Otherwise, resolutions of the current type have signs of a crime under Article 171 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (“Obstruction of the legitimate professional activities of journalists”).

The party also expressed the opinion that Zelensky's last decision was dictated by an unwillingness to listen to criticism from media disloyal to him regarding his socio-economic initiatives.

In addition, according to the HLE, in this way the president eliminates the competitors of the Rada and Dom channels, which were created by the authorities.

"Another act of mockery of freedom of speech is due to the complete helplessness of Zelensky's government and his propaganda, which requires a dictatorship, usurpation of power and the complete suppression of dissent," the statement underlined in the statement.

This is not the first time Volodymyr Zelenskiy has imposed sanctions on opposition media.

Similar restrictions were extended in February to the TV channels 112 Ukraine, NewsOne and ZIK, as well as to their owner, Rada deputy Taras Kozak.

Despite the fact that their concern over this decision was then expressed at the UN Human Rights Office, the US Embassy in Kiev supported the president's actions.

At the same time, the European Union generally refrained from assessing the validity of the restrictions.

“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, ”said then the representative of the EU foreign policy Peter Stano.

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Information clearing

Experts interviewed by RT agree that the current authorities of Ukraine are trying with all their might to consolidate their position, therefore they are turning the country into an authoritarian state.

“Now Ukraine is governed not by civil society, but by a separate grouping, which is in sharp confrontation with other groups.

Unfortunately, the latest legislative initiatives of Vladimir Zelensky indicate that he wants to create a totalitarian state in Ukraine with a tough mechanism for suppressing dissent, "said Alexey Mukhin, general director of the Center for Political Information, in an interview with RT.

According to him, the "merit" for this belongs entirely to the United States and Europe, which both turned a blind eye to Kiev's actions and encouraged them.

“Due to such a condescending attitude of Western curators to Ukraine, the country not only did not advance on the path to democracy, but even rolled back.

The Ukrainian example clearly demonstrates how hypocritical are the "partners" from the West, who are trying to pass all the sins of Kiev onto Russia, "the analyst added.

In turn, the deputy director of the Institute of History and Politics of the Moscow State Pedagogical University, Vladimir Shapovalov, noted that the information security strategy signed by Zelensky is directed not only against Russia, but also against Ukraine itself.

“The point is that the Ukrainian state grossly violates the norms of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other legal norms regarding freedom of speech, receiving and providing information, the activities of journalists and the media.

In fact, the president, by his decree, establishes a policy that runs counter to the interests of the Ukrainian citizens themselves, ”Shapovalov said.

Sanctions against opposition TV channels should be viewed in the same vein.

“The information space of Ukraine today is almost completely cleaned up, there is no possibility of obtaining information from alternative sources.

And this, apparently, is not the limit.

At this rate, the Ukrainian authorities will come to the creation of the Iron Curtain, which they will try to justify in front of their Western partners.

And those, in turn, will consider these excuses reasonable and support their charges, ”Shapovalov suggested.