Moscow: Russia is taking steps to impose measures against foreign media operating within its borders as a form of retaliation, as confirmed by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. In a recent interview with the MGIMO 360 student news portal, Zakharova stated, "They expel our journalists, do not give us accreditation - we respond either symmetrically or asymmetrically, but we respond. And every time we emphasize that this is not our choice."

According to Namibia Press Agency, foreign correspondents have become accustomed to operating under comfortable conditions in Russia, making it challenging for them to adjust to the new restrictions. Zakharova noted that some correspondents have even reacted emotionally, attempting to extend their work permits due to their reluctance to leave Russia, rather than completing unfinished work.

The restrictions come amid increasing difficulties faced by Russian media in Western countries. The European Union has introduced several sanctions targeting Russian media, such as blocking access to Rossiya Segodnya's assets, including the websites of RIA Novosti and the Sputnik news agency, along with their accounts on social media and messaging platforms.

On April 2, the European Union institutions' committee responsible for journalist accreditation in Brussels refused to extend RIA Novosti's accreditation for 2025, citing sanctions-related restrictions. This decision was contested by the news agency. Similarly, on March 12, the Greek Foreign Ministry declined to renew the accreditation of RIA Novosti's chief correspondent, Gennady Melnik, for 2025 without any explanation, leading to the closure of the news agency's office after over two decades of operation.

In 2016, the European Parliament passed a resolution advocating for measures against Russian media, specifically identifying Sputnik and RT as significant threats. Some Western politicians have accused these outlets of interfering in elections, though they have not provided evidence to support these claims.