Poroshenko says he would review decision on blocking of websites after Russian aggression stops

Only after the Russian aggression stops, the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko reviews the NSDC decision “On Imposition of personal special economic and other restrictive measures (sanctions)”, which envisages the blocking of Russian social networks, broadcasters, and portals.

Poroshenko said this on May 17 immediately after signing the decision on visa-free travel for Ukraine in Strasbourg in response to the journalist’s question about blocking of Russian websites, “Detector Media” reports.

“For three years, Ukraine has been living in the conditions of a war, in the conditions of the aggression against our independent country by the Russian Federation. An important part of this war for the Russians is the hybrid war, which the RF information troops are conducting. Huge propaganda budgets have been and continue being spent to destabilize the situation both inside Ukraine and inside Europe. We had the same discussion, when we approved the decision to stop broadcasting of the Russian propaganda channels. It brought some inconveniences, but the time proved that we were doing everything right. And now we see this is the issue of cybersecurity that Russia has been interfering in democratic processes all over the world and pouring effort into propaganda, using, among other things, the Russian social networks”, the president answered.

According to him, the corresponding Ukrainian structures will be thoroughly implement the NSDC decision.

“And I can say this for sure, immediately after the Russian aggression against Ukraine is over, that same very moment, when the last Russian soldier leaves the sovereign and independent territory of Ukraine, we will be ready to review this decision”, Poroshenko said.

As IMI reported, on May 15, the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko with his decree put in force the NSDC decision “On Imposition of personal special economic and other restrictive measures (sanctions)”, which envisages blocking of access to the Russian social networks “VKontakte” and “Ondokalssniki”, as well as to the online services of “Yandex” and Mail.ru.

On May 17, the decree of the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko on introduction of sanctions against several Russian legal entities, in particular, “Yandex”, Mail.ru, “VKontakte” and “Ondokalssniki” came into effect.  The document has been published in “Uriadovyi Kurier”.

EU is expecting detailed explanations from Ukraine concerning this decree.

NATO believes that imposition of sanctions against Russian websites in Ukraine is an issue of security, not that of freedom of press.

The Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjorn Jagland expressed his concern in connection with the blocking in Ukraine of websites and social networks and pointed out that such decision goes against the understanding of freedom of press.

“Reporters Without Borders” consider the ban on Russian social networks in Ukraine to be an attack against freedom of press and information.

The director of the Freedom House office in Ukraine Matthew Schaaf said that the decision to block Russian websites and social networks can restrict Ukrainians’ access to information and free expression of opinions and beliefs.

The Committee to Protect Journalists called antidemocratic the decision to ban Russian media in Ukraine.