In a decisive move to safeguard its national security, Lithuania has extended its embargo on the transmission and online distribution of radio and television programs produced by companies registered in Russia and Belarus. This step is a direct response to what the Lithuanian government perceives as a persistent threat posed by the aggressive disinformation campaigns accompanying Russia’s military incursion into Ukraine.
The Lithuanian parliament cast a notable vote on Thursday—with 78 in favor and only four abstentions—ratifying amendments to the Law on the Provision of Information to the Public, which effectively prolongs the ban on Russian and Belarusian media content. These amendments are due for further discussion in parliamentary committees.
Culture Minister Simonas Kairys conveyed the gravity of the situation when presenting the bill, stating, “Russia’s armed aggression in Ukraine is accompanied by aggressive disinformation, which is being actively pursued both inside and outside the European Union.” He clarified that the bill’s intention is to maintain the ban as long as these countries are classified in the National Security Strategy as threats to Lithuania’s national security.
Lithuania has taken a proactive stance against what it deems to be propaganda and disinformation emanating from Russian and Belarusian television. In support of this claim, Minister Kairys revealed that Lithuanian authorities had blocked over 400 websites and more than 300 IP addresses to enforce the ban online.
The current proscription on the retransmission of Russian and Belarusian media is set to lapse on October 1. However, the legislation carves out an exception for programs that are relayed or distributed from European Union member states, countries that are parties to the European Convention on Transfrontier Television, or those with express permission from the Lithuanian Radio and Television Commission.
The implications of this expanded media ban are part of a broader canvas of international sanctions against Russia. Various governments, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, implementing a plethora of punitive measures to pressure Russia’s financial, military, and industrial sectors, as well as to counteract its propaganda machine.
In addition to these sanctions, an array of entities and individuals linked to Russia’s financial services, technological, and virtual assets industries have been targeted.
The London Metal Exchange and Chicago Mercantile Exchange halted trading of aluminum, copper, and nickel produced by Russia, coinciding with the US ban on imports of these materials. This action excludes existing stockpiles of Russian metal on the two exchanges to mitigate potential market instability and does not extend to titanium or platinum group metals, as well as imposing restrictions on numerous Russian financial institutions. The European Union has taken complementary steps, including sanctions against military and defense sectors and firms in various countries that deal in electronic components.