Russia Moscow announces response to US sanctions against RT

Moscow has sharply criticized the US sanctions against the Russian state television channel RT and threatened countermeasures. "The actions of the US government will not go unanswered," said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, according to the ministry's official website.

Observers see this as a warning for American journalists still working in Russia. In March 2023, Russia arrested the US reporter Evan Gershkovich for alleged espionage. The correspondent for the renowned "Wall Street Journal" was detained for 16 months before being released as part of an exchange. Both Gershkovich and the newspaper have always denied the allegations.

Zakharova has now accused the USA of censorship and an attack on press freedom. By taking action against the RT group, the USA had launched a "further wave of restrictions against Russian media and journalists". Washington wants to shut down popular Russian media in order to prevent the dissemination of other points of view, she complained.

The US government had previously made serious accusations against RT, accusing the media group of interfering in "the sovereign affairs of countries around the world". Thanks to new information, it is now known that RT has cyber capabilities and is involved in covert information and influence operations as well as working hand in hand with the Russian military, said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

SDA