Before and after the start of the war in Ukraine, Russia has also been active in the ongoing information war, depending on outlets like Sputnik and RT to spread what is known as disinformation and pro-Kremlin propaganda.

For this reason, RT has been banned within the territory of the European Union, and technology companies have taken similar steps to stop Moscow from spreading its stance on its "special operation" in Ukraine, as well as on other sensitive issues for a global audience.

Serbia is a candidate country for EU membership, but this country is not dictated by the decisions made in Brussels.

Now, this Balkan country of seven million people, long the target of disinformation campaigns and with historic ties to Moscow, may consider allowing RT to broadcast from Belgrade.

If RT starts work from Serbia, this media can immediately have an audience that accepts it.

Recent polls conducted by non-governmental organizations in Serbia have found that two-thirds of respondents said they are closer to the Russian side regarding the current conflict in Ukraine.

State media regulators in Serbia have said that RT has not yet made an official request.

In case of expansion in Serbia, RT must make a request to these operators in order to equip them with a license.

However, reports about such a plan have been circulating in the Serbian media recently, and they are being viewed very seriously.

A spokesman for the European bloc told RFE/RL's Balkan Service that Belgrade should think twice about deepening ties with the Kremlin-funded broadcaster.

"Without commenting on the intentions, let me remind you that the EU has imposed restrictions on broadcasting and advertising against RT, as part of the sanctions that are a response to Russian aggression in Ukraine.

RT is part of Russian propaganda and an instrument of disinformation.

"Serbia, as a candidate country, is expected to act in accordance with the EU policy on foreign affairs and security and to respect the decisions", said the EU spokesperson, Peter Stano.

Belgrade is already the host of Sputnik, a Russian medium that also has a website in Serbian, which in the reports of the United States is said to "represent an alternative reality for Serbian and Slavic audiences".

RT's reach in Belgrade would allow the administration of Russian President Vladimir Putin to broadcast his presence in more homes than with Sputnik, since RT also has television broadcasts.

Such a thing can be seen as a big step by the Kremlin, not only in Serbia, but also in the rest of the Balkans, said the Serbian analyst, Boshko Jakšić, also mentioning the Serbian entity that makes up half of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"Moscow wants to continue the spread of propaganda, especially in Serbia and the Serbian Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which it considers as bases of interest.

Russia can consider this strengthening of the media presence as another success", said Jakšić for the Balkan Service of Radio Free Europe.

Natural gas, weapons and political support make Belgrade dependent on Moscow.

Serbia has condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine at United Nations meetings, but has not imposed sanctions.

The Serbian president, Aleksandar Vucic, has complained that Serbia is facing "anxieties" due to the possibility of choosing one side.

Vucic, a former ultra-nationalist who took power by presenting himself as a reformist, has vowed to lead Serbia towards the European Union.

However, he has defended RT's right to broadcast in the EU, citing freedom of expression as a justification.

Despite this, the international organization, Freedom House, has found that in Belgrade, independent media continue to face considerable pressure.

Launched in 2005 as Russia Today, RT is Russia's state media, which has been expanding continuously.

Currently there are channels in several languages ​​including: English, French, Spanish and Arabic.

Despite operating on various platforms around the world, RT has faced major setbacks in recent months as major tech companies have blocked its channels due to Russia's unprovoked attack on Ukraine.

The European Union has suspended the broadcasting of some Russian-backed media outlets, including RT, on March 1.

The European bloc has also sanctioned Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of the English-language RT channel.

"Sputnik and Russia Today are under the direct or indirect control of the authorities of the Russian Federation and are important instruments for increasing support for military aggression against Ukraine, as well as for destabilizing neighboring states," said the head of EU diplomacy. of Josep Borrell on March 2.

The giant company Meta has blocked these media on its platforms, Facebook and Instagram.

Other companies have made it impossible for them to advertise and benefit from them.

In the United States, RT America ceased operations and staff moved in March.

Despite the reputation and problems, Olivera Zekiq, president of the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media, has said that RT will have equal treatment in Serbia, if it applies for a broadcasting license.

Zekiq said that the EU's ban on RT will not have an impact on the decision of the Serbian authorities.

"There is no problem if Russia Today applies as the Authority is focused on respecting freedom of expression.

It should be borne in mind that the information about her arrival is only based on rumours", said Zekiq for the Balkan Service of Radio Free Europe.

According to Jashkiqi, the decision whether RT will secure a license will depend on Vuciqi.

He added that the Serbian leader may decide to please the Kremlin, after the "damage that has been caused to the relationship", considering that Serbia has voted in favor of a UN resolution condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

However, Jakšić has said that even this decision can have its own cost.

"At the time when the West demands that we join the sanctions against Moscow, Serbia will shoot itself if it approves the license for Russia Today", added Jakšić.

Even without RT, the media in Serbia have supported Putin and his decision to go to war in Ukraine.

The biggest tabloid in Serbia, Informer, has printed several articles praising Putin.

Two days before February 24, when Russia's war in Ukraine began, this tabloid published an article entitled, Ukraine has attacked Russia.

"Serbia's pro-government propaganda organs have created the personality cult of Putin, which even surpasses what they have built for Vucic," said Dinko Gruhonjic, professor of journalism at the University of Novi Sad, in a statement to the news agency. AFP during this month.

As the Russian occupation continues, and reports of alleged Russian atrocities mount, the Serbian media's approach to the war has begun to "soften," according to the Belgrade-based non-governmental organization CRTA, which calls for transparency and democratic reforms in Serbia.

"Although open support for Russia has been observed since the start of the war, the media continues to report in favor of Russia and against the West," CRTA said in its July 6 report.

CRTA has found that the public in Serbia has also been on the side of Russia.

Two-thirds of respondents said they are closer to Russia, according to CRTA research, published on June 15.

Three quarters of the respondents said they believe that the Kremlin was forced to start the war "because of NATO's intentions to expand".

In the same survey, it has been suggested that 40 percent of the population thinks that Serbia should give up its goal of membership in the European Union and increase ties with Moscow.

"Public opinion is formed in media environments and is dominated by televisions and newspapers that have pro-government and pro-Russian editorial policies", said Vujo Iliq, researcher and one of the drafters of the report.

"Russia is presented in the pro-government media as a political and military ally, defender of Serbian interests in Kosovo and Bosnia, and as an economic supporter, for example through the provision of gas at a reasonable price," said Iliq, professor of political science at the University of Belgrade, in some written answers for Radio Free Europe.

Serbia and Russia have historical ties, mainly through the Orthodox Church.

Their ties were further strengthened when Russia opposed NATO's bombing of the former Yugoslavia (now Serbia) in 1999, and rejected Kosovo's decision to declare independence in 2008, a position it continues to maintain today.

Russian disinformation efforts have deep roots in Serbia.

Since its launch in 2015, Sputnik has been spreading disinformation against the EU and NATO in the Western Balkans through its regional base in Belgrade.

"The most frequent Sputnik narratives in Serbia are that the EU and NATO are weak, hegemonic and aggressive," said Serbian analyst Jellena Jevtić in 2021.

These findings were supported by researchers at Tufts University, based in the US, who said that Sputnik Serbia "often publishes articles that aim to create an alternative reality for Serbian and Slavic audiences.

This reality simultaneously magnifies the perceptions of the threat to the Serbian minority groups in the Western Balkans and exposes Russia as a vital ally of its Slavic brothers.

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