The Ministry of Culture calls on the EU to limit the influence of Russian media and to break advertising cooperation

The Ministry of Culture called on the European Union to expand sanctions against Russia in the cultural and information spheres. The relevant speech was made by the Minister of Culture and Information Policy, Oleksandr Tkachenko, at the meeting of Ministers of Culture of the EU members.

The Minister said: «I hope that Europe will prove that it remains committed to its fundamental values and will impose a series of sanctions against Russia’s culture of destructiveness. In particular, it will limit the influence of the Russian media by blocking them in Europe, stop partnerships with Russian companies and exclude Russia from international cultural and artistic events as a participant or organizer and stop cooperation with Russian artists».

Tkachenko listed key requirements to the EU:

• to exclude channels of Russian propaganda from European platforms;
• immediately apply sanctions to all propaganda channels of the aggressor state;
• to stop all advertising payments in favour of Russian companies;
• to terminate the advertising cooperation of European Union companies with Russian propaganda resources and related parties;
• to support the broadcast of the Ukrainian united TV channel «#UAразом»;
• to expand cultural sanctions.

Tkachenko said: «Although culture may not seem like an immediate priority when civilians die from missile strikes, but it remains one of the global demoralizing factors for Russians».

The Minister stressed that he had met with the full understanding of his colleagues, Ministers of the EU, and was looking forward to their actions.

As reported, cultural figures demand from foreign colleagues sanctions in the field of culture for Russia.

The Ukrainian Publishers’ Association and further representatives of the Ukrainian Institute and the Ukrainian Book Institute also called on the International Association to support sanctions against Russia.