"Kremlin Condemns U.S. for 'Unacceptable Pressure' on Russian Media"

The Kremlin spokesman defended media censorship during the Ukraine offensive, calling it "justified" since Russia is in a "state of war."

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced that Moscow will implement its own restrictions on U.S. media outlets within Russia. [File: Yuri Kochetkov/AFP]

The Kremlin has accused the United States of exerting "unacceptable pressure" on Russian media after Washington imposed sanctions on journalists and a state-run media network.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday that the U.S. is trying to block Russia’s perspective on global events from reaching the public. "Washington does not even tolerate the existence of alternative viewpoints. This is nothing but blatant pressure, and we strongly condemn it as unacceptable," Peskov said.

This came after the U.S. Department of Justice charged Russian TV contributor Dimitri Simes and his wife, Anastasia Simes, with violating U.S. sanctions. A day earlier, two employees of Russian state broadcaster RT were indicted, and RT, along with its top editors, was sanctioned for allegedly trying to influence the upcoming U.S. presidential election.

Among those sanctioned were RT Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan and her deputy, Elizaveta Brodskaia.

"Washington continues to pressure Russia, its citizens, and even its media, which provides information to both our people and the global audience from our perspective," Peskov added.