Earlier, Germany’s domestic intelligence agency said Russian media Russia Today, DE was seeking to weaken the trust in democratic institutions.
Therefore, according to the German magazine Spiegel and Ukrainian news agency UNIAN, on February 26, Germany's Commerzbank has notified Russia's propaganda media assets Russia Today Germany (RT DE) and Ruptly it was closing their accounts starting from May 31.
In response to German actions, Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesmen Maria Zakharova warned that “the relevant "tough" measures would be taken in relation to German media operating in Russia in case Germany fails to provide "decent conditions" for the Russian propagandists' work”.
According to Spiegel, Germany is concerned that with RT DE, Moscow wants to provide a platform for corona sceptics, right-wing populists and leftist fans of the Kremlin to destabilize democracy in Germany. Internal emails provide insights into the media organization.
RT DE, which had been called RT Deutsch until November, has been disseminating Kremlin-financed propaganda in Germany since 2014. Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, which has been keeping an eye on the platform, says the outlet is seeking to weaken trust in democratic institutions. The agency says there are close links between the station and those seeking to undermine the democratic order in Germany in addition to conspiracy theorists. And it considers the news disseminated by RT DE to be part of a disinformation campaign orchestrated by the Russian state.
As was reported by the RT, the agency has been trying to find a replacement for Commerzbank, but several financial institutions, including Helaba, Deutsche Bank, DZ Bank, BNP Paribas, ING, HSBC, UBS, and HypoVereinsbank, have either ignored RT's inquiries or refused to open accounts on its behalf.