Moscow addressed US authorities with a request to let Russian mass media do their work and avoid another factor complicating relations between the two countries, RIA Novosti informs.
As per the Russian Embassy in Washington, US authorities try to cause problems for Russian mass media sources by forcing them to get a status of foreign agents. The Embassy has reminded that Moscow promised that retaliatory moves would be reciprocal. According to the diplomats, this step cannot be seen as a formal action as it might inflict drastic aftermath.
At this, US try to reverse the situation, stating that Russian mass media in US are not pursued, just the other way round; Russian authorities put pressure on American mass media.
Russian Embassy has pointed out that there is a simular regulation in Russia on foreign agent's status, however this regulation is universal while the US norm applies only to some mass media sources non favorable from a political point of view. The proof to that is absence in the US list of the major mass media sources financed by the western countries, diplomats explained.
It is worth reminding that US authorities intend
to include RT TV channel into the list of foreign agents. The channel should acknowledge itself a foreign agent otherwise, USA might begin arresting its employees. In case TV channel acknowledges to be a foreign agent, it would not be able to operate. Besides, the issued draft law allows TV channel distributors to stop RT broadcasts without respecting any obligations.
Russkiy Mir
