EU ambassadors approve ban on number of Russian propaganda resources

EU ambassadors have agreed to ban access to four information resources used as tools of Russian propaganda in all EU countries.

"EU ambassadors just agreed to a Europe-wide broadcast ban on Voice of Europe, RIA Novosti, Izvestija and Rossiiskaja Gazeta," Rikard Jozwiak, Europe editor for Radio Liberty, wrote on Twitter (X).

EU ambassadors just agreed an 🇪🇺-wide broadcast ban on Voice of Europe, RIA Novosti, Izvestija and Rossiiskaja Gazeta. 🇷🇺 https://t.co/PJ9lbOaKre

— Rikard Jozwiak (@RikardJozwiak) May 15, 2024

Earlier, there were reports that the European Commission wanted to add Voice of Europe to the sanctions list.

Czech intelligence services said in March that the website was used to spread anti-Ukrainian propaganda and disinformation on the instructions of Viktor Medvedchuk, against whom Czechia also imposed sanctions (Medvedchuk is a former Ukrainian MP and oligarch with pro-Russian stance who, prior to the full-scale Russian invasion, spread pro-Kremlin propaganda in Ukraine via a number of media that he used to own – ed.)

Rossiyskaya Gazeta is an official newspaper of the Russian government. Last autumn, Bulgaria expelled an employee of this media outlet from the country and banned him from entering the EU for violations that, according to the Bulgarian government, were not related to journalistic activities. 

In early March 2022, following a decision by the EU Council, the EU immediately banned the Russian propaganda channels RT/Russia Today and Sputnik.