Moscow has praised RT for its role in countering global ‘zombification’ in response to the recent allegations made by the United States against the Russian news agency, stressing that Washington is struggling to preserve its myth of infallibility.
In a statement on Friday night, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused Russia’s RT news agency, formerly known as Russia Today, of purported “covert influence activities” aimed at undermining US presidential elections and its so-called democracy.
RT “moved beyond being simply a media outlet and has been an entity with cyber capabilities,” he further alleged, adding that his respective department is launching a diplomatic campaign to warn countries about the alleged dangers posed by RT’s activities.
Blinken further accused RT of being fully integrated with what he called Russia’s global intelligence operations and acting as a purported de-facto arm of Russia’s intelligence.
On Saturday, the Kremlin addressed these allegations, with Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova emphasizing that such allegations are evidence that Washington is desperate to retain its control over global public opinion and uphold its illusion of infallibility.
In an interview with RT, she stressed that the issue is not about Ukraine or American elections, but rather about Washington’s attempt to maintain the myth of its own infallibility by suppressing alternative sources of information.
Zakharova further emphasized that Russian news outlets present facts that challenge Washington’s “myth of its own exclusivity” and dismantle the illusion of a “non-existent Pax Americana, which was formed by Hollywood, fast food, and the American mass market.”
“They form an objective picture of reality, focusing on the real problems, challenges, and victories of today’s society. They do not allow people to become completely addicted and zombified by American mainstream channels,” the Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman added.
Zakharova accused the US of distorting public opinion with false stories about Russian journalists and diplomats, as well as a “paranoid” Russiagate narrative set up to stir hatred among Americans, driving them toward extreme intolerance and xenophobia.
“It’s just some kind of seasonal aggravation that occurs every few years, driven by their system. When people cannot distinguish between truth and falsehood, when they are not given the opportunity to hear an alternative point of view, and when unwanted candidates are literally facing death,” she further said, adding that the US apparently learned nothing from the attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump.
“They now spin a new spiral of hatred against Russia, alleging interference in their affairs, just to spur this dead horse dubbed ‘American democracy,’ which is essentially holding the entire American society hostage,” Zakharova noted.
She pointed out that Washington has once again failed to provide concrete evidence to back its claims, which is why the case has not been brought to court.
“We are no longer talking about sanctions. We haven’t been discussing sanctions for a long time; we are talking about persecution. This is what is being done to RT and generally to Russian media. This is the persecution of our country’s entire civil society,” Zakharova concluded.