On 2 February 2022, the German Media Regulatory Authority (Kommission für Lizensierung und Aufsicht) banned Russian state broadcaster Russia Today from its territory, be it via satellite or the internet.

The Russian Foreign Ministry promised to take retaliatory measures.

The German-language RT programs were produced in Moscow and broadcast by satellite from Serbia in accordance with European law. They were also available on the Internet.

This censorship comes as Russia, the United States and NATO are deliberating over a Russian draft agreement on a peaceful resolution of all disputes between Moscow and the Western bloc. Washington responded by sowing panic among its allies by announcing an imminent Russian invasion of the Ukraine.