Kremlin says understands why Russian parliament wants to ban US media

MOSCOW – The Kremlin said on Friday it fully understood why the Russian lower house of parliament planned to discuss banning representatives of US media organizations in retaliation for what it says is US mistreatment of Russian media.

Russian lawmakers are to discuss a proposal to bar US media from accessing the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, the RIA news agency quoted the chair of one of the chamber's committees as saying earlier on Friday.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a conference call with reporters that the Kremlin understood why lawmakers wanted to hit back against the United States for its mistreatment of Russian media.

Peskov said Russian media had been subjected to "outrageous" attacks in the United States which violated freedom of speech.