War in Ukraine: Russian media RT and Sputnik soon banned from the EU?

RT France studios, in Boulogne-Billancourt, near Paris, on December 18, 2017 (Illustration image).

REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes

Text by: RFI Follow

2 mins

Sanctions and reactions are multiplying against Russia, five days after the start of the war launched by Vladimir Putin against Ukraine.

The President of the European Commission notably announced tougher sanctions against Russian media broadcasting in EU countries.

Brussels wants to attack Moscow's “propaganda” tools.

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“ 

We are going to ban the Kremlin media machine.

 The terms used by Ursula von der Leyen portend drastic measures against Russian media broadcasting in Europe.

The state media Russia Today and Sputnik and their affiliates will no longer be able to broadcast their lies to justify Putin's war and to sow division in our Union

 ", continues the President of the Commission.

The president of RT France, Xenia Fedorova, reacted strongly, denouncing “ 

censorship

 ” and an attack “ 

on the very principles of freedom of expression

 ”.

The RT France group, 176 employees including 100 journalists, warned in a press release that it would " 

defend its rights

 " and challenge this decision in court.

Play the Kremlin game

Russian state media have for years been accused in Europe of playing into the hands of the Kremlin, and of serving as an instrument of disinformation for Vladimir Putin's Russia.

Several countries had already considered restrictive measures.

But with the war in Ukraine, the future of RT and Sputnik in Europe seems seriously compromised.

Several countries have made it known in recent days that they are preparing measures against them.

If EU countries were to take action limiting the broadcast of Russian state media, retaliation is to be expected from Moscow.

But they will primarily target European correspondents based in Russia.

Last January, all journalists from the German channel Deutsche Welle

lost their accreditations

after the RT channel was banned from broadcasting in Germany.

►Also listen: MEDIA CHRONICLE - RT France in the info war

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  • Russia

  • Media

  • European Union

  • Ursula von der Leyen