RT to Negotiate With Banks After NatWest Closes RT's Accounts - Editor-in-Chief

Sputnik and RT Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan said that, following the situation with the UK National Westminster Bank (NatWest) closing RT's bank accounts, the channel was negotiating with other banks, in an interview with the RNS information agency.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — In October 2016, RT UK said it had been informed by NatWest that its banking arrangements with RT were null and void, and this decision was not subject to revision. A spokesperson for UK Prime Minister Theresa May and UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson stressed that the decision to close RT accounts was made by NatWest itself. In January, the channel's press service said that the bank had sent them an official letter, stating that the accounts of the RT broadcaster in the United Kingdom would not be closed.

"We have already worked out a situation in which we will not depend on them," Simonyan said, answering a question on if the channel had taken any measures to prevent such problems in the future.

The editor-in-chief explained that work was underway with other banks.

"I do not want to name specific banks yet, everything is in the negotiation process," she said.

RT operates a number of cable and satellite television channels in a number of languages and is directed at a foreign audience. The channels provide 24-hour news coverage, and also air documentaries, talk shows and debates.