EU ambassadors agreed to ban access to Izvestia and Rossiyskaya Gazeta in the bloc

Ambassadors of the European Union countries agreed to ban access to several Russian media within the bloc as part of the discussion of a new package of sanctions. About it reported correspondent for the media corporation Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Rikard Jozwiak.

The ambassadors agreed to ban the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti, the Moscow-linked Voice of Europe, the official government Rossiyskaya Gazeta and the Izvestia newspaper.

The ban will affect access to the websites of these publications, writes Yozwiak. Their journalists can continue to work on the territory of the union. According to this principle, the RT television channel and the Sputnik agency have already been banned in the EU since 2022. The European Union explained their ban by Russian aggression against Ukraine and “actions of disinformation and manipulation of information against the EU and its member states.”

As Reuters reported, the new, 14th sanctions package plans to include a ban on the transshipment of Russian liquefied natural gas to third countries, restrictions against transport companies providing transportation of products that bring “significant income” to the Russian budget, and responsibility for European businesses for violation of sanctions by their non-EU subsidiaries.

In addition, the EU plans to ban political parties, movements, media providers and think tanks from receiving money, donations or other economic benefits from Russia.

Air carriers may be required “in some cases” to report passenger data to the authorities if the flight destination was determined by a Russian legal entity or citizen.