EU approves ban on 4 more Russian propaganda resources

On 17 May, the Council of the European Union decided to suspend the broadcasting of four more media outlets that spread and support Russian propaganda and support the war of aggression against Ukraine: Voice of Europe, RIA Novosti, Izvestia and Rossiyskaya Gazeta. 

The EU noted that these media outlets are under the constant direct or indirect control of the leadership of the Russian Federation and play an important role in launching and supporting Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, as well as in destabilising its neighbouring countries. 

However, as the Council of the EU clarified, referring to the Charter of Fundamental Rights, the measures agreed on Friday will not prevent these media outlets and their staff from carrying out activities in the European Union other than broadcasting, such as conducting research and interviewing. 

The Russian Federation has been conducting a systematic international campaign of media and information manipulation, interference and gross distortion of facts to justify and support its full-scale aggression against Ukraine, as well as to strengthen its strategy of destabilising neighbouring countries, the EU and its member states. 

In particular, propaganda, information manipulation and interference have been repeatedly and consistently directed against the Ukrainian state and its authorities, Ukrainian citizens, as well as European political parties, especially during election periods, as well as against civil society, asylum seekers, Russian ethnic minorities, gender minorities and the functioning of democratic institutions in the EU and its member states. 

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

Rossiyskaya Gazeta is an official print publication of the Russian government. Last autumn, Bulgaria expelled an employee of the 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, the Council of the EU decided to immediately ban the Russian propaganda channels RT/Russia Today and Sputnik.