EU Backs New Sanctions Targeting Russian Propaganda Outlets
(Bloomberg) -- The European Union backed sanctions on four media outlets accused of spreading Russian propaganda, commission vice president Vera Jourova said in a post on X.
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Once adopted by all member states, the restrictive measures would apply to Voice of Europe, the RIA Novosti news agency, Izvestija and Rossiiskaja Gazeta, banning the outlets from broadcasting in the bloc.
The sanctions also include a ban on Russian funding of EU media, NGOs and political parties.
The measures, which are scheduled to come into force on June 25, come as the EU has warned against rising Russian disinformation operations ahead of the June EU-wide elections.
Czech intelligence services in March said they had uncovered a Russian network trying to influence politics and public opinion across the continent using Voice of Europe.
Some lawmakers have been accused of taking money from the website, an allegation that they deny.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned on Wednesday that Moscow would retaliate if the EU took action against Russian media and journalists.
For its 14th sanctions package, the EU was also proposing to target key Russian liquefied natural gas projects and ban the use of EU ports to re-export supplies destined for third countries, as well as a series of measures to tackle sanctions evasion. Those restrictions, however, have yet to be agreed.
--With assistance from Katharina Rosskopf.
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