NATO has announced that all journalists from the Russian news agencies RIA Novosti and Sputnik are banned from attending the NATO summit, which begins today, Tuesday, July 9, in Washington, D.C.
Journalists were required to submit two applications in advance to gain accreditation to cover the summit: one to the United States as the host country and the other directly to NATO.
According to the agencies, their reporters completed the necessary registration and submitted their accreditation requests within the specified timeframe. However, all Russian journalists received rejections from NATO without any explanations.
In the rejection letters, NATO representatives stated, “Your request for media accreditation cannot be approved at this time. We are unable to discuss the reasons for this decision, which is final.”
Both the White House and the U.S. State Department ignored requests from the agencies for comments on the denial of accreditation for Russian journalists at the NATO summit.
This denial not only bars Russian journalists from the summit venue but also restricts their presence in the surrounding area, where temporary restrictions are imposed.
Additionally, without accreditation, it is impossible for them to attend U.S. President Joe Biden’s press conference scheduled for July 11.
The NATO summit is set to take place in Washington, D.C., on July 9 and 11.
