Moscow will impose restrictions on American media outlets in response to new U.S. sanctions on the state-funded RT news network, the Kremlin said Friday.
The United States indicted two RT employees and sanctioned its top editors on Wednesday, accusing them of trying to influence the upcoming U.S. presidential election.
"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.," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the state-run RIA Novosti news agency.
"But there will certainly be measures here that will restrict their media disseminating their information," he said without specifying what restrictions the Russian authorities planned to place on U.S. media outlets.
Most Western media outlets downsized or pulled their staff out of Russia after Moscow launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which coincided with the passing of draconian censorship laws about reporting on the war.
The 10 individuals and two entities sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department on Wednesday included RT editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan and her deputy Elizaveta Brodskaia.
U.S. officials have long warned of efforts by foreign powers to meddle in the upcoming presidential race, accusing Moscow of seeking to influence elections going back to the 2016 stand-off between former U.S. President Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
![paiment methods](https://static.themoscowtimes.com/img/contribute/payment_icons.png)
Remind me later.