Russia announces blocking access to 81 European media, including the Radio France and AFP sites, on its territory

Russia announced on Tuesday June 25 that it would block access to the broadcasting of 81 European media on its territory, in “reprisals” to the decision of the European Union (EU), taken in May, to ban four Russian state media. “Countermeasures are introduced on access from Russian territory to media broadcasting facilities of EU member countries”, declared the Russian Foreign Ministry, making public a list of media and blaming Brussels for these restrictions. Among these media, there are the sites of Radio France, AFP, World or even Release.

In mid-May, EU member states agreed to sanction the Russian media outlet Voice of Europe, Ria Novosti, Izvestia And Rossiiskaia Gazeta, accused of spreading pro-Kremlin propaganda. The online media Voice of Europe is particularly at the heart of an investigation into allegations of interference within the European Parliament. These sanctions include “ban on Russian funding of EU media, NGOs and political parties”had specified the European Commissioner in charge of Values ​​and Transparency, Vera Jourova, on the social network.

For its part, the European Union has for more than two years banned the broadcasting in Europe of several Russian or pro-Russian media, including Russia Today, accusing Moscow of using these media to “spread propaganda and conduct disinformation campaigns”.