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EU to ban Russia Today, Sputnik media outlets, top diplomat says

Today we are taking a crucial step, Josep Borrell said

BRUSSELS, February 28. /TASS/. The European Union will ban the Russia Today TV channel and the Sputnik news agency, EU top diplomat Josep Borrell said at a press conference following an emergency video conference meeting of the foreign ministers of EU member states.

"Today we are taking a crucial step to turn off the tap for Russia's information manipulation in Europe by banning Russia Today and Sputnik from broadcasting in the European Union," he said.

According to RT Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan, the European Union’s decision has nothing to do with its proclaimed goal of "stopping the military operation in Ukraine." "Perhaps they think that with no programs in English, French and Spanish, Putin will change his mind on saving Russian speakers in Ukraine and preventing NATO’s expansion?" she said, according to RT’s Telegram channel. Simonyan pointed out that the move "shows who’s worth what, and most importantly, what the much hyped European democracy is worth."

On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a special military operation based on a request from the heads of the Donbass republics. In response, Western countries introduced personal and sectoral sanctions, particularly targeting Russia’s sovereign debt and banking sector.