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Moscow warns of response if EU acts on its recent anti-Russian media resolution

Moscow hopes that no practical decisions to restrict the activity of Russian media will follow after the resolution, Maria Zakharova said
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova Alexander Shcherbak/TASS
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova
© Alexander Shcherbak/TASS

MOSCOW, November 24./TASS/. Moscow hopes that no practical moves will follow after the EU Parliament’s resolution to counter propaganda of third countries, otherwise counter measures will be taken, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.

"We have to state with regret that attempts to demonize Russia don’t stop in the European Union, and this document cannot be called otherwise than paranoia," the diplomat said. "The document is overloaded with phobias, fictitious messages, myths, it reflects very explicitly the ideology that the EU has been cultivating towards Russia over the recent time," she said.

"This document compares the ‘propaganda war of the Kremlin’ waged against the East to propaganda means of the outlawed in Russia terrorist organization Islamic State," she noted.

"We have repeatedly stated that Russia is not conducting any anti-European propaganda. Russia is interested in seeing the European Union a strong, stable, predictable partner with which we would like to develop equal and mutually advantageous cooperation," Zakharova said.

"We hope that no practical decisions to restrict the activity of Russian media will follow after the resolution," the diplomat said. "There is a reason for such hope, as the approval of this document has triggered a colossal wave of rejection in the European Union itself," the diplomat went on.

"However, if practical moves are made under this document, countermeasures will follow," Zakharova said.

On Wednesday, the European Parliament adopted a resolution aimed at combating propaganda of third countries, including Russia. The resolution mentions Russian TV channel RT, Sputnik agency, Russkiy Mir (or Russian World) Foundation and the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States, Compatriots Living Abroad and International Humanitarian Cooperation (Rossotrudnichestvo).

A total of 691 MPs were present at the session, 304 of whom voted in favor of the resolution, 179 voted against it while 208 abstained from voting.

The document was sharply criticized by the Russian leadership, while President Putin said it demonstrated political degradation of ideas of democracy.