The British government has requested a review of the license granted to the Russian public channel in English RT, Boris Johnson announced on Wednesday in the midst of the Russian-Western crisis linked to Ukraine, his Minister of Defense judging that Vladimir Putin had "
lost the ball
”.
Questioned in Parliament on the role of "
disinformation
" played by RT, the Prime Minister indicated that his Minister of Culture Nadine Dorries had asked the British regulator, Ofcom, to " re-
examine
" the license granted to the news channel in English .
“
We live in a democracy and in a country that believes in freedom of expression, so it is important to leave this question to Ofcom, rather than let politicians decide which media to ban as Russia does
”, tempered Boris Johnson.
Read alsoFrédéric Taddeï: “
Out of loyalty to France, I am leaving the presentation of my program on RT France
”
In early February, Germany banned RT on its territory, prompting Moscow to close the office of German radio and television Deutsche Welle in Moscow.
Other British sanctions
In his speech Boris Johnson also reaffirmed preparing new economic sanctions after those announced on Tuesday, without specifying whether they would be implemented no matter what or in the event of further escalation.
These measures "
aim to prevent Russia from raising sovereign debt, to prevent Russian companies from raising funds and even from settling in pounds sterling and dollars on international markets
", he explained.
He also confirmed that London would step up its military aid to Kiev, including lethal weapons, in addition to the anti-tank missiles sent recently.
The UK government has also announced financial support in the form of credit guarantees of up to $500 million.