Russian president signs bill targeting foreign media

MOSCOW – Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a bill allowing Russia to register international media outlets as foreign agents in a quid pro quo to the U.S. demand made to a Kremlin-funded TV channel.

Putin signed the bill into law Saturday after the upper chamber of the Russian parliament adopted it Wednesday. The move is Russia’s retaliation after state-funded RT television was registered with the U.S. Justice Department as a foreign agent following pressure from Washington.

Without even waiting for the law to come into effect, Russia’s Justice Ministry last week warned U.S. government-funded Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, along with its regional outlets, that they could be designated as foreign agents under the new law.