The Russian president has congratulated the broadcaster on its 20th anniversary during a reception at the Bolshoi Theatre

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Editor-in-chief of the RT broadcaster and the Rossiya Segodnya international media group Margarita Simonyan attend an event marking the 20th anniversary of RT TV Channel at the Bolshoi Theatre, in Moscow, Russia. © Sputnik / Sergey Bobylev

Russian President Vladimir Putin has thanked RT staff for “standing up for the truth” in the global media landscape despite Western media attempts to impose their points of view.

Speaking at the reception in the Bolshoi Theatre on Friday in front of an audience of around 1,000, including RT personnel, Putin congratulated the broadcaster on its 20th anniversary, noting that it had grown from a mere concept into a “global trend known around the world”

He especially praised editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan, standing next to him, for her “courage and endurance.” “Your friends and colleagues have always been and will be near you,” he said.

”I thank your energetic, creative, and consolidated team for their high level of professionalism, dedication to their profession, and their duty. For your courageous, selfless, and persistent defense of the truth in the global information space,” Putin said.

 

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 RT flourishing despite tremendous pressure – Putin

The Russian leader recalled that in the early 2000s, Western media abused their dominance of the media landscape while seeking to “impose a new civilizational space” on the international community.

This bias led to a high demand for “news different from jaded propaganda,” with numerous media professionals willing to collaborate with RT. “Not because of money. But because they had an opportunity to speak up and voice their opinion to millions,” Putin noted.

As a result, RT competitors became envious or sometimes “afraid” of its success, the Russian leader said, describing it as proof of professional work.

Thanks to RT, the world has learned that Russia defends traditional values, Putin said, adding that it is “difficult to overestimate RT’s contribution to our joint struggle to create a more just… world order.”

Wrapping up his speech, Putin encouraged the broadcaster to find new horizons in the heated fight in the media landscape. “To win in this battle, you should keep using your secret strategic and high-precision… weapon: truth,” he stressed.

Officially launched as Russia Today on December 10, 2005, RT operates news websites and TV channels in seven languages – English, Arabic, Spanish, French, German, Serbian, and Russian – reaching audiences in more than 100 countries. Its programming covers global news, politics, and culture from a Russian perspective, offering an alternative to Western mainstream media narratives.

Western governments have targeted RT with over 110 sanctions, blocked its bank accounts, spied on and harassed its employees, and put many other kinds of pressure on the outlet in an effort to limit its reach, according to Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.