Russia's communications regulator on Friday accused US TV channel CNN International of violating Russian media law and said it had summoned the broadcaster's representatives in connection with the matter. The Russian foreign ministry accused Washington on Thursday of putting unwarranted pressure on the U.S operations of Kremlin-backed media outlet RT, and warned that Moscow could take tit-for-tat measures.
President Vladimir Putin told a meeting of Russia's Security Council on Friday that Russian media outlets working abroad were facing growing and unacceptable pressure, his spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. The communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, said in a statement on its website that it would look at warning CNN about the alleged violations, which it said also breached the terms of its broadcast licence.
It did not say what breaches of Russian laws the US broadcaster had made, adding it would continue its "systematic monitoring" of foreign mass media outlets registered in Russia. Asked if the regulator's move was politically motivated, Roskomnadzor head Alexander Zharov, was quoted by Interfax news agency as saying: "I don't work in a political agency. I work in a regulatory service."
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday the US authorities were demanding that Russian state-controlled broadcaster Russia Today (RT) be registered as a "foreign agent" in the United States.