The Kremlin Links Media Accreditation to "Behavior" of Western Outlets

The state-owned news agency TASS reported that Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov stated today, Saturday, that "Russia will take into account the behavior of Western media when deciding on the accreditation of their journalists at major forums in Russia." Journalists from countries that Russia labels as "unfriendly" did not receive accreditation to cover the ongoing St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. In response to a question regarding whether Moscow would allow Western journalists to attend forums in Russia in the future, Peskov said, "Let's see what the situation will be like and how foreign media will act." He added, "The issue of denying accreditations will also depend on how Russian journalists are treated in unfriendly countries. Business as usual will not continue anymore. We will be ready to welcome Western journalists, but we will not tolerate such treatment that Russian journalists face abroad."