Russian lawmakers weigh restrictions against US media

MOSCOW – Russian lawmakers are warning that Moscow could retaliate if the U.S. moves to impose restrictions on Russia’s state-funded news outlets.

Margarita Simonyan, the editor-in-chief of state-funded RT television network, said it faces a U.S. demand to register as a foreign agent and provide detailed personal information about its staff, among other things. She has said that the request effectively amounts to an attempt to push RT out of the U.S. media market.

Speaking after Thursday’s meeting of a parliamentary panel investigating alleged foreign interference in Russian affairs, its head Igor Klimov said that Russian government agencies will consider possible retaliatory moves against the U.S. media broadcasting in Russia in response to the U.S. action regarding RT and state-funded Sputnik news agency.