Russian journalist says Germany seized passports of his wife and daughter
Russia has condemned the treatment of Sergey Feoktistov, head of the bureau for the media company Rossiya Segodnya in Germany, who said that Berlin police seized the passports of his wife and daughter.
The EU imposed sanctions on Rossiya Segodnya in 2023, accusing the Russian state-owned agency of spreading 'disinformation' about the Ukraine conflict.
Earlier this month, German authorities declined to renew Feoktistov's residency permit and gave him until August 19 to leave the country or face deportation. According to the journalist, he flew to Berlin on Friday to help his family move but was barred from entering the country.
'Police came to the apartment where I used to live with my family — and where my wife and seven-year-old daughter still live — and confiscated their passports. They claimed that my wife and daughter might go into hiding to evade the order to leave Germany by August 19,' Feoktistov told RIA Novosti on Tuesday.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused Germany of 'targeting journalists and media outlets' in an effort to 'eradicate alternative points of view.' Rossiya Segodnya chief Dmitry Kiselyov said Germany was preparing its public for 'a war with Russia.'
Since 2022, the EU has banned multiple Russian media organizations, including RT and Sputnik, and blacklisted their staffers. Moscow responded with retaliatory sanctions on several Western journalists and blocked access to certain media outlets, including Germany's state broadcaster Deutsche Welle.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Russia Today
27 minutes ago
- Russia Today
BRICS driving ambitious development push
BRICS countries have launched large‑scale joint projects in nuclear power, aviation, AI and other sectors, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said. The economic group is 'setting the bar in the development of so-called human-centric industries,' Putin noted, speaking on Friday at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. The group is mobilizing 'major projects to improve the living environment' and 'implementing large-scale initiatives in nuclear energy and aviation, in the field of new materials and the IT industry, in robotics and artificial intelligence,' the Russian president said. BRICS was initially established in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, with South Africa joining in 2010. In 2024, the bloc extended full membership to Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates, and, later, Indonesia. Over 30 more nations have applied to join the group. The collective trade turnover of BRICS nations has 'already exceeded a trillion dollars and continues to grow,' Putin told a SPIEF plenary session. The Russian leader underlined the platform's core principles – consensus, parity, mutual interest, and openness – saying it will strengthen as more countries join. 'Russia invites partners to contribute to shaping a new global growth model, to jointly ensure the prosperity of our countries and the stable development of the entire world for many, many years to come,' he said. Today's global challenges require a global response, Putin stressed. 'Solving problems alone, especially at someone else's expense, is simply impossible – it is an illusion. Only joint actions within an organization such as BRICS and some other formats can ensure the movement of the entire civilization forward,' the president told the gathering. This year, SPIEF has drawn participants from 137 countries and territories, including global leaders, major corporations, international organizations, and policy experts.
Russia Today
an hour ago
- Russia Today
Putin calls on Russia's partners to discuss new global model of growth
Russia is calling on its partners to take part in shaping a new global growth model aimed at ensuring stable development worldwide, President Vladimir Putin said on Friday. Speaking at the main plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), he stressed the need to create a fair and open platform for global progress. 'Russia invites its partners to contribute to the formation of a new global growth model that will ensure the prosperity of our countries and the stable development of the entire world for many, many years to come,' Putin said. 'To that end, we held an Open Dialogue in Moscow this year, titled 'The Future of the World: A New Platform for Global Growth', which brought together representatives from over a hundred countries. We intend not only to make this format a regular occurrence but also to build an entire ecosystem around it for discussing, developing, and implementing breakthrough ideas.' Putin noted that the challenges facing the modern world undoubtedly require a collective response. He argued that it is impossible to solve such problems alone, especially at the expense of others. Only joint efforts through organizations like BRICS and other international platforms can ensure the advancement of global civilization, he concluded. The Open Dialogue, held in April at the RUSSIA National Center, welcomed more than 100 guests from 48 countries. Participants explored the future through four main themes: 'Investments in Human Capital', 'Investments in Technology', 'Investments in the Environment', and 'Investments in Communication'. Summing up the outcome of the Open Dialogue during one of the SPIEF sessions, Maksim Oreshkin, deputy head of President Putin's administration, noted that the initiative had received broad international attention. 'It is through such an Open Dialogue that our future, and our understanding of that future, is being shaped,' Oreshkin said.
Russia Today
an hour ago
- Russia Today
EU to gamble with Russia's frozen assets
The European Union is looking to channel billions of euros in profits from frozen Russian assets into 'riskier investments' to boost funding for Ukraine, Politico has reported, citing sources. Officials reportedly view the move as a way to generate higher returns without directly tapping into the sovereign funds themselves, which would be in breach of international law. The proposal is part of a broader EU initiative to use profits from immobilized Russian assets – primarily Western government bonds held by the Brussels-based clearing house Euroclear – to support Ukraine's war effort. Moscow has labeled the seizure of its assets as 'theft.' Western nations froze an estimated $300 billion in Russian sovereign funds following the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine in February 2022. Of that amount, more than $200 billion is held by Euroclear. The funds have generated billions in interest, with €1.55 billion ($1.78 billion) transferred to Kiev last July to back a $50 billion G7 the new plan, the assets would be placed into an EU-managed investment fund that could pursue higher-yield strategies, officials told Politico on Thursday. The goal is to increase returns without resorting to outright confiscation – a step opposed by countries such as Germany and Italy due to the potential legal and financial consequences. The EU's $21 billion contribution to the G7 loan is expected to be fully disbursed by the end of this year. With future US aid uncertain and the bloc's own budget under pressure, officials are exploring alternative ways to keep Ukraine's economy afloat beyond 2025, Politico reported. EU policymakers hope the plan will allow them to extract more revenue from the assets without violating international legal norms. The International Monetary Fund has warned that outright seizure could damage global trust in Western financial institutions. Talks among member states over confiscation have dragged on for more than three years without resolution. Brussels also reportedly sees the new investment structure as a safeguard in case Hungary vetoes the renewal of sanctions – a move that could result in the assets being returned to Russia. EU sanctions must be unanimously extended every six months, and Budapest has repeatedly threatened to block them, citing national interests. Critics caution that riskier investments could result in losses ultimately borne by EU taxpayers, the outlet has condemned the asset freeze and has threatened countermeasures, including legal action.
