The Kremlin announced on Friday that Russia would impose restrictions on U.S. media outlets in response to the latest sanctions placed by the United States on the state-funded RT news network.
The announcement came just days after the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on top RT editors, accusing them of efforts to interfere in the upcoming U.S. presidential election.
The new sanctions target ten individuals and two entities associated with RT, including editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan and her deputy, Elizaveta Brodskaia.
U.S. officials have alleged that RT has played a significant role in Moscow’s attempts to influence U.S. elections, a charge Russia has repeatedly denied.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the planned retaliation during an interview with Russia’s state-run RIA Novosti news agency.
However, he noted that Russia’s response would differ from the U.S. measures, stating that a direct “like-for-like” action was not feasible due to the differences in media structures between the two countries.
“A like response is not possible. There is no state news agency in the U.S., and there is no state TV channel in the U.S.,” Peskov remarked, indicating the Kremlin’s recognition of the unique nature of state-controlled media in Russia.
Although Peskov refrained from specifying the exact nature of the restrictions, he emphasized that Russian authorities would take steps to limit the activities of American media operating within Russia.
“There will certainly be measures here that will restrict their media disseminating their information,” Peskov added, without elaborating further.
The tit-for-tat between the U.S. and Russia underscores the deepening tensions between the two nations, which have been locked in a geopolitical standoff since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The sanctions are part of a broader U.S. effort to curtail Moscow’s ability to influence global events, including elections.
The decision to impose new sanctions on RT’s leadership has further escalated diplomatic hostilities.
RT, formerly known as Russia Today, has long been viewed by the U.S. and its allies as a propaganda tool used by the Kremlin to disseminate Russian government perspectives and narratives abroad.
Its presence in the U.S. and other Western nations has been highly controversial, with critics accusing it of spreading disinformation and engaging in influence operations on behalf of the Russian state.
Western media outlets have already faced increasing difficulties operating in Russia since the onset of the war in Ukraine.
In response to the conflict, many international news organizations either downsized their Russian operations or withdrew their staff entirely, citing safety concerns and the implementation of stringent censorship laws.
The Kremlin passed legislation soon after the war began, severely restricting the way the conflict could be reported, which led to many journalists leaving the country.
The escalating sanctions and countermeasures are expected to further strain the already fragile relationship between Moscow and Washington.
U.S. officials have long expressed concern over foreign interference in domestic elections, pointing to previous incidents dating back to the 2016 presidential race, where Russia was accused of meddling in the contest between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.
While the Kremlin’s planned restrictions on U.S. media remain vague, the move signals Moscow’s intention to push back against what it sees as unfair targeting of its state media.
Observers are closely watching to see how the situation develops and what specific actions Russia will take to limit the reach of American news outlets within its borders.