Blinken alleges RT engaged in 'covert info ops., military procurement'

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
13 Sep 2024 22:25

The US State Secretary says sanctions were imposed on three entities and two individuals.

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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks about US policy towards China during an event hosted by the Asia Society Policy Institute at George Washington University in Washington, DC, on May 26, 2022 (AFP)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused on Friday state media organization RT of possessing cyber capabilities and engaging in covert information, influence operations, and military procurement.

Blinken told reporters that the United States is imposing sanctions on three entities and two individuals over Russia’s alleged "covert influence operations in the media domain, including interference in Moldova's democracy, and its upcoming elections."

In response, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova mockingly told Sputnik she suggests "treating Blinken's actions as a blockchain."

'There will be a response'

The US Department of the Treasury announced sanctions against RT Editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan and her deputies Anton Anisimov and Elizaveta Brodskaia on September 4.

The news website's Deputy Director of English-Language Information Broadcasting Andrey Kiyashko, Digital Media Projects Manager Konstantin Kalashnikov, and numerous other employees were also added to the sanctions list.

Zakharova said on Tuesday that Russia will respond to US sanctions targeting Russian media and all its other adversarial actions.

"They (US) will have to understand that no action against our country will remain unanswered," Zakharova said on the Solovyev LIVE show.

US authorities charged Kalashnikov and her fellow colleague Elena Afanasyeva with money laundering conspiracy and Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) violations.

The US State Department also implemented stricter regulations for Rossiya Segodnya (RT) and its subsidiaries, deeming them "foreign missions." With this measure, the organization is obligated under the Foreign Missions Act to notify the department of all employees working in the US and disclose all their owned properties.

US authorities also announced restrictions on issuing visas to individuals believed to be "acting on behalf of Kremlin-supported media organizations." However, the Department of State did not reveal the names of the individuals subject to the new restrictions.