Simonyan Expects US Media's Reaction to Idea of Labelling RT as a Foreign Agent

RT Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan told Sputnik on Friday that she would like to see the response of the US media outlets to the US Congress initiative to register the RT broadcaster as a foreign agent.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Earlier in the day, US Congressman David Cecilline said during an Atlantic Council event that RT should register as a foreign agent in order to comply with the existing US legislation.

Dr Jeffrey Gedmin@AtlanticCouncil leading panel discussion Should RT register as a foreign agent@BlueStarLLC pic.twitter.com/XAKW3eOsGP

— Karen Tramontano (@KTramontano) September 8, 2017

​"I wonder, how US media outlets, which have no problems while working in Moscow, and that are not required to register as foreign agents, will treat this initiative," Simonyan said.

This is not the first time the broadcaster is accused by US officials of alleged violation of the country's legislation on foreign agents.

In June, Cicilline, along with Congressman Matthew Gaetz, introduced legislation called The Foreign Agents Registration Modernization and Enforcement Act specifically targeting such media outlets as RT, obliging them to register as foreign agents and report their activity to the US Department of Justice.

In January, the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and National Security Agency (NSA) released a report accusing Russia of meddling in last year's US presidential election. The report did not provide any proof, citing confidentiality protocols, while its significant part was focused on RT and Sputnik. Russian President Vladimir Putin, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and other senior officials have repeatedly stated that Moscow refrains from meddling in internal affairs of foreign countries.