UK joins US in accusing Russian state media of ‘covert’ interference
Britain has joined the US in accusing Russian state media outlet RT of carrying out “covert” activity across the world on behalf of the Kremlin in a bid to “undermine our collective security.”
The news channel, which no longer appears on broadcast platforms in the UK, was a “mouthpiece for Russian disinformation” which has “mutated into an altogether more harmful organisation”, the Foreign Office said on Friday.
It comes as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that Washington was imposing further sanctions on RT on Friday, warning that it was a key part of Moscow’s war machine with “cyber operational capabilities”.
The US has previously accused the outlet of interfering in its democratic process ahead of the country’s November election, but on Friday said officials had similar activity in other countries.
These include Argentina, France and Moldova, which goes to the polls next month.
In a statement on Friday evening, the Foreign Office said: “US information shows that RT is engaged in information operations and covert influence across the world.
“These activities strike at the democratic foundations of other countries, using intelligence operations and shadowy networks to incite political violence, and spread dissent across the world.
“Working in direct cooperation with the Kremlin, RT has sought to influence democratic processes in Moldova and to spread damaging lies designed to inflame tensions.”
RT’s senior leadership has “full knowledge” that an entity within the outlet with “ties to Russian intelligence” has been embedded by the Russian government, the statement said.
The Foreign Office said Britain would “continue to bear down on those who would threaten our collective security and democratic values” following Friday’s announcement.
The UK has previously sanctioned RT’s parent company TV Novosti in a bid to restrict its influence.
It added: “In its control of RT, we see the extent of the Russian state’s duplicity: weaponising the media in order to spread lies, threaten global security and further its illegal invasion of Ukraine.
“We have seen these shoddy attempts to obscure the truth and they have failed.”
It comes amid heightened global tensions surrounding the war in Ukraine, with renewed discussion of the potential use of Western missiles by Kyiv to strike into Russian territory.
Vladimir Putin warned that such a move would amount to Nato being at war with Russia.
On Friday, Moscow revoked the accreditation of six British diplomats on allegations of espionage, which the Foreign Office denounced as “completely baseless”, while Sir Keir Starmer travelled to Washington to discuss Ukraine’s defence with US President Joe Biden.
