RT's license revoked in the UK
RT responds to the revocation and slams it as "political".
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RT's license was revoked in the UK.
The UK Office of Communications (Ofcom) withdrew Russia Today's license to broadcast in the nation "with immediate effect" on Friday, claiming that the television station was not "fit and proper" to have the broadcasting permissions.
In a statement, the watchdog said, "Ofcom has today revoked RT’s license to broadcast in the UK, with immediate effect. We have done so on the basis that we do not consider RT’s licensee, ANO TV Novosti, fit and proper to hold a UK broadcast license."
A political decision
RT's press service told Sputnik on Friday that the decision to revoke the license is no doubt a political one.
The press service said, "There is no doubt that Ofcom's decision to revoke RT's broadcasting license is political. For many years, the UK has been looking for a formal reason to close RT, but it has tried to maintain the appearance of freedom of speech. Now, the masks are off."
On March 1, as part of the campaign of sanctions against Russia after its military operation in Ukraine, Google Europe blocked Youtube channels connected to RT and Sputnik across Europe.
"It’ll take time for our systems to fully ramp up. Our teams continue to monitor the situation around the clock to take swift action," a statement by the company read on Twitter.
The European Union will ban Russian media outlets RT and Sputnik, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced Sunday, accusing the pair of "spreading harmful disinformation."
Read more: US gov. spent $22M on anti-Russia narrative in Ukraine
Western countries have been imposing sanctions on anything and everything Russian, from oil and gas sales to even Russian-bred cats and classes on Russian writers, sparking comments of rampant Russophobia in the West.
Putin said on Wednesday that the West was trying to punish Russia by persecuting Russians and by cracking down on Russian music, culture, and literature.
"By attempting to cancel Russia, the West has lifted the mask of decency and is acting like louts, showing its true colours," Putin said.
