This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry has warned it will expel a U.S. journalist or media outlet if the YouTube streaming platform blocks any more of its press briefings.
Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on May 26 at a roundtable discussion devoted to “the role of Internet platforms in Russia’s standoff with the West” that several of her briefings had been blocked by YouTube.
“What we did [after the briefings were blocked] was this — we simply came and said, ‘If you block another briefing, one journalist or one American media outlet will go home.’ That’s it…. If another briefing is blocked, we will name a certain name or a certain media outlet that will go away home,” Zakharova said.
She did not specify when or which of her briefings were blocked on YouTube.
It is the second warning to foreign journalists in as many days by Zakharova.
The day before, Zakharova told reporters that Moscow is preparing measures to use against “unfriendly actions” by English-language media toward Russian media. She did not specify what those actions were.
After Russia launched its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine on February 24, the European Union suspended the broadcasting activities of some Russian state-backed media, including RT, a leading Russian broadcaster abroad, over questions on the impartiality of its coverage of the war.
