As part of the 14th package of sanctions against Russia, the European Union is going to ban four more Russian media outlets: Voice of Europe, RIA Novosti, Izvestia and Rossiyskaya Gazeta. These four will join the ranks of RT and Sputnik, already banned. In announcing the list, EU Commission Vice-President for Values and Transparency Věra Jourová said the sanctions package will also include a ban “on Russian funding of EU media, NGOs and political parties.”
On the ban against Russian funding of NGOs, note the hypocrisy with respect to Georgia’s newly passed legislation to require NGOs that receive at least 20% of their funds from foreign sources to register as bodies “pursuing the interests of a foreign power.” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has denounced the U.S. and EU threats against Georgia.