U.S. at OSCE calls Medvedchuk's TV channels tools of Russian propaganda

Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S. Mission to the OSCE Courtney Austrian said this at a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna on Thursday, February 4, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"Moscow would have you believe that media freedom means it is acceptable to manipulate the media in another sovereign country. Let me be clear: Media freedom does not include the right to spread malicious propaganda and disinformation. We support Ukraine’s decision to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity by countering Russia’s blatant and malign influence," she emphasized.

The American diplomat reminded those present, in particular the Russian ambassador to the OSCE, that those media entities "are controlled by Victor Medvedchuk, who has direct personal ties to Vladimir Putin and was sanctioned by the United States in 2014 for actions that threatened the peace, security, stability, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Ukraine."

"Medvedchuk has a long history of using media entities to promote pro-Kremlin positions that undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity," she said.

The diplomat added that the media outlets shut down by Ukraine "are well-known tools of Russian propaganda aimed at destabilizing Ukraine."

As Ukrinform reported, on February 2, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky enacted the decision of the National Security and Defense Council to impose sanctions against the NewsOne, ZIK and 112 Ukraine TV channels, as well as their owner, MP from the Opposition Platform – For Life party, Taras Kozak. The sanctions, among other things, provide for the revocation of licenses of these pro-Russian TV channels. As of the morning of February 3, the broadcasting of NewsOne, ZIK and 112 Ukraine was blocked.

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