EU calls Russia's "sanctions" against European media meaningless

Věra Jourová, Vice-President of the European Commission for Values and Transparency, has criticised the Kremlin's decision to restrict the freedom of speech of more than 80 European media outlets in Russia.

Source: European Pravda, Jourová on X (Twitter)

Details: Jourová believes that the decision to restrict European media in Russia is evidence of "a continuous violation of media freedom by the Kremlin".

"It's a non-sense retaliation. No, propaganda outlets funded by Russian to spread disinformation as part of Russia’s military doctrine are not the same as independent media. Democracies know that," the Vice President of the European Commission added.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that Moscow was imposing restrictions on freedom of speech and access to 81 European media outlets.

Among those affected by Russia's countermeasures are Germany’s Der Spiegel and Der Zeit, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Spain's Mundo, Pais and EFE, Italy's Stampa, Repubblica and RAI, France's Monde, Liberation and France-Presse, and pan-European Politico and EUobserver.

Moscow said that these were measures in response to the EU Council's decision of 17 May to ban Russian propaganda media: RIA Novosti, Izvestia and Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

In early March 2022, the EU Council decided to immediately ban the Russian propaganda TV channels RT/Russia Today and Sputnik.

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