The EU suspended the distribution of the Russian media Russia Today and Sputnik

The European Union (EU) suspended the distribution of the Russian media Russia Today and Sputnik. These are believed to be the Kremlin's tools for disinformation and information manipulation.

According to the announcement, the sanctions cover all means of transmission and distribution, such as cable, satellite, IPTV, platforms, websites and applications.

"All relevant licenses, authorizations and distribution agreements have been suspended. These measures cover all EU member states and are directly applied," the announcement states.

President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said on the occasion of this decision that words are very important in times of war.

"We are witnessing mass propaganda and misinformation regarding this outrageous attack on a free and independent country. We will not allow the apologists of the Kremlin to pour their toxic lies to justify Putin's war or to sow the seeds of division in our Union," she said.

The EU's high representative for common foreign policy and security, Josep Borrell, assessed that Russia uses information manipulation as an "operational tool".

"Today we are taking an important step against Putin's manipulation and turning off the tap for the state-controlled Russian media in the EU. We have already sanctioned the management of RT, including the editor-in-chief Simonjan, and it is logical to target the activities carried out by organizations within our Union", said Borel.

In the statement issued on the occasion of the decision to ban the work of Russa Today and Sputnik, it is stated that these media are instruments in encouraging and supporting Russian aggression against Ukraine, which, as it says, "represents a significant and direct threat to public order and security of the EU."