RT France does not intend to lower the curtain immediately.
Since January 18, the bank accounts of the French-speaking Russian channel have been blocked.
The consequence of the adoption by the European Union of a new package of sanctions against Russia last December.
Accused of being in the service of Moscow propaganda, RT France had already been banned from broadcasting in the EU since last March.
On Saturday, the chain hinted in a press release that it would close its doors following this new blow from Brussels.
Before definitively recording his disappearance, RT France is nevertheless trying to obtain the lifting of the blocking of his bank accounts.
“We made a request to the general management of the Treasury to unfreeze the funds on January 20,” the channel’s management announced on Wednesday, awaiting a response “within 15 days” from the French administration.
Contacted, it does not wish to comment.
“Partial thaw”
In support of its request, RT France claims not to be directly targeted by the latest European sanctions.
“Only Ano TV-Novosti (the 100% owner of RT France) is”.
Not sure, however, that the argument bears.
“If the banks identify flows involving entities held by a sanctioned company, they must also freeze them,” a source at Bercy explained to us on Tuesday.
In other words, RT France and its parent company are in the same boat in the face of EU sanctions.
Failing to obtain a release of its funds, the Russian media hopes to win their “partial thaw” to meet its commitments for the month of January, in particular the payment of the salaries of its “123 French employees”.
In the event of failure, RT France should have no choice but to quickly turn to the commercial court to order its liquidation.
