MOSCOW, February 13. /TASS/. Ratings of many European media outlets are declining, while trust in Russian sources is rising and therefore, European countries are imposing sanctions on Russian news agencies and journalists, Russian State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin said.

On his channel on Max, the politician cited the BBC statistics showing that trust in the Russian TV channel Russia Today has increased by 12%, reaching 71%. "The BBC's own ratings remain steady, while those of other Western media are falling," Volodin added.

"Against this backdrop, Europe is introducing new sanctions on Russian news agencies and journalists, depriving them of the ability to work and report real facts to citizens living in these countries," the State Duma chairman noted.

He emphasized that citizens of European countries "are tired of the hypocrisy and lies of their leaders. They are increasingly choosing sources of information that are objective and impartial," Volodin stated.