The United States has imposed sanctions on officials at the Russian state broadcaster RT, whom it accuses of attempting to interfere in this year’s US presidential election. The sanctions affect ten people responsible and two organizations, the Treasury Department and Attorney General Merrick Garland announced in Washington on Wednesday. Garland said the inner circle around Russian President Vladimir Putin had instructed Russian PR firms to “promote disinformation and state-sponsored narratives as part of a campaign to influence the 2024 U.S. presidential election.”
The Treasury Department said actors backed by the Russian state have long used a variety of tools, such as artificial intelligence, deep fakes and targeted disinformation, to undermine trust in the processes and institutions surrounding U.S. elections. In early 2024, RT executives also began covertly recruiting unwitting American social media influencers for their influence efforts. RT used a front company to conceal its own involvement or that of the Russian government in content aimed at influencing the American public. The aim of the influence in various ways was also to spread Russian government propaganda in the US and undermine support for Ukraine, which was being attacked by Russia.
Among those affected by the sanctions are RT editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan, as well as other members of the channel’s management team. As a result of the sanctions, any assets of those affected in the USA will be frozen. US citizens will be prohibited from doing business with them. International business will also usually be significantly more difficult for those affected by the sanctions.
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