 "US imposing new sanctions on Russia for role in undermining democracies, says Blinken")
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday said that the US would impose sanctions on three entities and two individuals linked to a Russian campaign of destabilising countries around the world, according to a report.
Addressing reporters at the State Department, Blinken said that the Russian broadcaster RT was involved in the campaign and had moved beyond being a media outlet to include cyber capabilities, citing new information, much of which he said came from RT employees.
“Today, we’re imposing sanctions on three entities and two individuals for Russia’s covert global influence operations, including interference in Moldova’s democracy and its upcoming elections. The actions we’re exposing today and the actions we exposed last week do not incorporate the full scope of Russia’s efforts to undermine democracies, far from it,” The Guardian quoted as saying.
Blinken said Russia’s weaponisation of disinformation to subvert and polarise free and open societies extends to every part of the world.
“In response, today, the United States, United Kingdom and Canada are launching a joint diplomatic campaign to rally allies and partners around the world to join us in addressing the threat posed by RT and other machinery of Russian disinformation and covert influence,” he added.
On Friday, the Biden administration unveiled a major initiative aimed at curbing the global influence of RT, the Russian state media network, and exposing its role in the Kremlin’s global intelligence and influence operations.
Impact Shorts
View AllAccording to a CNN report, citing US officials, recent intelligence reveals that for over a year, the Russian government has secretly embedded an intelligence-gathering unit within RT focused on global influence operations.
This activity is part of a broader expansion of RT’s role as a tool for the Kremlin abroad, extending beyond propaganda and covert influence to include military procurement, added the report.
The goal of the US announcement, along with private discussions with allied diplomats, is to inform countries about RT’s collaboration with Russian intelligence agencies to undermine democratic processes and create division, while making it significantly harder for RT to operate internationally, CNN reported, citing a senior administration official.
According to CNN, in response to the outlet’s inquiry, RT sent a mocking email stating, “We’ve been broadcasting straight out of the KGB headquarters all this time.”
Meanwhile, CNN reported it has also sought comments from the Russian Embassy in Washington, DC.
Friday’s development is part of a broader US effort to diminish RT’s global influence.
It follows recent criminal charges against two RT employees for secretly channeling nearly $10 million into a US company to promote Russian-aligned content ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
US diplomats are working to build an international coalition to address the perceived threat from RT, which formerly known as Russia Today, operates globally to advance the Kremlin’s agenda.
With inputs from agencies
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