RT France loses fight against EU ban

Russia’s state-controlled media outlet Russia Today has lost its court fight against a European Union ban imposed in March over its alleged spreading of disinformation about the war in Ukraine.

The Luxembourg-based General Court, Europe’s second-highest, upheld the EU decision in a ruling issued on Wednesday and dismissed the broadcaster’s arguments that the ban curtailed its freedom of expression.

In response, the Kremlin said the EU court’s decision was “extremely negative” and warned Moscow would take similar measures against Western media in response.

The EU sanction, which applies to RT’s English unit and operations in the UK, Germany, France and Spain, means RT content cannot be broadcast or disseminated by EU operators.

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In response to a EU court’s decision to uphold a broadcasting ban against RT France throughout the European Union, Russia will resort to reciprocal measures of pressure against European media outlets, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov vowed on Wednesday.

According to him, Moscow has seriously frowned upon this ruling and views it as an "attack on freedom of speech, and on freedom of the press in European countries, and in France in particular."

"This process is both alarming and regrettable," Peskov said. "We are certainly resorting to, and will resort to similar measures of exerting pressure on Western media outlets operating in our country and we won’t let them work in our country so there will be no soft stance on our part."

According to him, "the Europeans are tramping on the ideals, which they pursue imposing around the globe."

"It is true that RT is actually blocked and cannot work in Europe, in the majority of the European states, and this is bad," Peskov noted.

He added that the company is employing very talented and energetic people.

"I have no doubts that despite all of the current decisions they will manage to find loopholes in order to restore their much-needed broadcasting via various channels to deliver their information," the presidential spokesman stated.