Russia to retaliate after RT accounts frozen in France

Moscow will retaliate against French media in Russia after the bank accounts of RT France, the French arm of its state broadcaster, were frozen, Russian news agencies reported Saturday., Jan. 21.

"The blocking of RT France accounts will lead to retaliatory measures against the French media in Russia," the TASS and RIA Novosti news agencies quoted an anonymous foreign ministry source as saying. The measures "will be remembered", the source said, accusing Paris of "terrorizing Russian journalists."

On Friday, the unions of RT France -- already banned from broadcasting -- said their accounts were frozen in the country.

The French finance ministry told AFP that the assets of the chain had been frozen in compliance with the most recent EU sanctions, and not on Paris’s initiative.

Unlike the initial sanctions decided after Moscow launched its Ukraine offensive, fresh EU measures adopted in December provided for an "asset freeze" of targeted entities, the same ministry source said.

Among those entities is "ANO TV Novosti, a parent company holding 100 percent of RT France", the source said, explaining the decision.

RT was blocked in most Western countries after the Kremlin sent troops to Ukraine in February last year.