Telegram founder Pavel Durov has stated that Russians enjoy more media freedom on the platform than EU citizens, in a New Year's message posted Tuesday, reports RT.
Durov highlighted that while some Russian media outlets are banned in the EU under the Digital Services Act (DSA) and sanctions, all Western media channels on Telegram remain accessible in Russia. "Who would have thought that in 2025, Russian Telegram users would have more freedom than Europeans?" Durov wrote.
Following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, the EU imposed sweeping sanctions on Russian media, including RT, Sputnik, and RIA Novosti. Enforcement of these bans has varied across EU member states and platforms.
By Sunday, major Russian outlets like RIA Novosti, Izvestia, Rossiya 1, Channel One, and NTV were reportedly inaccessible on Telegram in several EU countries, including Poland, Belgium, France, and Italy.
In response, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova condemned the bans as political censorship, accusing the West of stifling dissent. "The Russian side will certainly respond to these and similar attacks on Russian media outlets," she stated.
Durov’s post marks his first public comment on the issue. He has faced legal challenges recently, including a brief arrest in Paris in August on charges related to criminal activity on Telegram.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also criticized Durov for his slow response to Western calls for tighter content moderation on the platform. "The West does not pull any punches when dealing with online platforms like Telegram," Lavrov remarked.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
