Views of videos posted by Russian media on YouTube after the EU ban 2022
Despite the blocking of access to Russian TV channels in European Union (EU) countries due to the war in Ukraine, their audience on YouTube has not decreased. On March 1, 2022, Google Europe announced blocking YouTube channels associated with RT and Sputnik across Europe with immediate effect. The move follows European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's announcement that the EU is banning Russian state media outlets Russia Today and Sputnik and their affiliates as part of new sanctions imposed on the country over its invasion in Ukraine.