DISINFO: EU ban on Russian media is Russophobia and murder of free speech
SUMMARY
EU ambassadors have voted to ban several Russian outlets in the European Union. This is amazing because the Europeans talk so much about free speech. It is a Russophobic decision and a murder of free speech and pluralism of opinions.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the EU violating freedom of speech and press.
On 15 May 2024, EU ambassadors agreed in principle to place an additional four Russian media outlets on the sanctions list, accusing them of propaganda. These are Voice of Europe, RIA Novosti, Izvestiya and Rossiyskaya Gazeta. The decision was based on the fact that these media outlets are used as a tool of Russian propaganda and disinformation. See here for the list of outlets sanctioned previously.
The EU has repeatedly stated that the fight against disinformation is a key priority for the Union. In 2015, the East StratCom Task Force was created to better forecast, address, and respond to the Russian information war. In 2018, the European Commission presented an action plan to counter disinformation. In 2020, the European Commission adopted the European Democracy Action Plan to build more resilient democracies across the EU.
The EU countries are considered free and democratic by Freedom House. In contrast, Russia is considered one of the least free countries in the world. This is the reason why pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives strongly attack democracy and the EU as a viable model to Russia’s autocratic system.
Read similar disinformation cases claiming that The European Union is a democratic dictatorship, that There is no press freedom in the West, and that Western countries are persecuting Russian media.