Russia has declared it will respond to recent U.S. actions against Russian media. This comes after the U.S. accused Russian media executives and the state-funded broadcaster RT of attempting to influence the 2024 presidential election.

On Wednesday, the U.S. charged two RT employees with money laundering, alleging they hired an American company to produce content intended to affect the election. Additionally, the U.S. Treasury and State Departments imposed restrictions on RT and its leading editor, Margarita Simonyan. U.S. officials claim Russia's aim was to deepen political divisions in the U.S. and reduce support for American aid to Ukraine.

In response, Russia's Foreign Ministry condemned the U.S. actions, describing them as efforts to silence dissenting voices and manipulate U.S. voters. Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the ministry, criticized the U.S. for undermining "liberal democracies" with such tactics and warned of retaliatory measures.

Russia has stated that any attempts to expel Russian journalists or obstruct their work in the U.S., including through visa restrictions, will lead to reciprocal actions against American media.

Reporters Without Borders ranks Russia 162nd out of 180 countries for press freedom, while the U.S. is ranked 55th. Since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Russia has tightened its control over the media, closing independent news outlets and labeling many journalists and activists as "foreign agents." This has led to a significant reduction in Western media presence in Russia.

RT dismissed the U.S. charges with mockery, stating that accusations of election interference are a constant theme. RT ceased operations in the U.S. after major distributors dropped the network following the invasion of Ukraine.

Russian officials have consistently denied U.S. claims of election meddling and have accused U.S. intelligence agencies of trying to portray Russia as a threat. Russian lawmaker Maria Butina, who was previously imprisoned in the U.S. for acting as an unregistered agent, labeled the U.S. accusations as absurd and suggested that the real winner of U.S. elections is the American military-industrial complex.

The ongoing dispute underscores the tense relations between Russia and the U.S. and raises concerns about media freedom and international diplomacy.

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