Russia’s embassy has warned the United States against imposing individual restrictions on Russian journalists working in the country after several media outlets were forced to register as foreign agents.
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Russia’s embassy on Friday called on the US "to end the practice of limiting the freedom of speech of Russian media."
"We also caution against imposing individual restrictions on our journalists in the US," the statement read.
The embassy condemned the US push to register the partner firm of a Russian radio station on the foreign-agent database as another attack on the Russian media in the country.
"These actions continue the policy of pressuring Russian media. They are obviously now trying to intimidate US commercial structures working with our media outlets," the statement read.
Sputnik Radio's partner Reston Translator, a Virginia firm that rebroadcasts radio programs, was registered Wednesday under the Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA), passed in 1938 to counter Nazi propaganda. The Moscow-based RT channel did the same on Monday.
The Russian diplomatic mission in Washington DC stressed that "any escalation in the fight on the information field is against the interests of US-Russian cooperation."
"We seek to have a comprehensive and mutually beneficial dialogue with our US colleagues. We will make every effort in order not to let those opposing detente with the US prevail," the embassy promised.
The lower house of the Russian parliament responded Wednesday by passing unanimously a bill that could compel foreign-funded media agencies to register as foreign agents. Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, which are funded by the US government, could be targeted.
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