EU bans RT, Sputnik over Ukraine disinformation
FILE PHOTO: Vehicles of Russian state-controlled broadcaster RT are seen in Red Square in central Moscow
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Russian state-controlled media outlets RT and
Sputnik will be banned in the European Union with immediate effect for
systematic disinformation over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the 27-country
bloc said on Wednesday in an unprecedented move.
The sanction means EU operators will be prohibited from broadcasting, facilitating or otherwise contributing to the dissemination of any RT and Sputnik content.
Broadcasting licenses or authorization, transmission and distribution
arrangements between the two companies and their EU counterparts will also be
suspended.
The ban applies to RT's English unit and
operations in Britain, Germany, France and Spain.
"Systematic information manipulation and
disinformation by the Kremlin is applied as an operational tool in its assault
on Ukraine," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement.
"It is also a significant and direct threat to the Union's public order
and security."
Facebook owner Meta, Alphabet Inc's Google, YouTube and TikTok are already blocking access to RT and Sputnik in
the EU. Twitter has said it will comply with the EU ban.
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