Russian parliament to bar all US media from accessing it

MOSCOW (AP) - Russia's parliament could bar U.S. media from reporting within its walls in retaliation for the withdrawal of a Kremlin-funded television station's credentials in the United States.

Olga Savastyanova of the State Duma told Russian news agencies on Friday that she expects the Duma to adopt the ban next week. Separately, Igor Morozov, member of the information policy committee at the Federation Council, told the RIA Novosti news agency that the upper chamber of the Russian parliament would support the ban and could vote to enforce it later this month.

Foreign correspondents in Russia can currently access the Russian parliament and some government agencies with their press credentials issued by the Russian Foreign Ministry.

A committee that governs Capitol Hill access for broadcast journalists on Wednesday withdrew credentials for Kremlin-funded RT after the company complied earlier this month with a U.S. demand that it register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. Russia has denounced the move as a violation of media freedom.

The U.S. move and the Russian threats of retaliation follow the endorsement of a new Russian bill that allowed the government to designate international media outlets as foreign agents in response to the U.S. demand made to the RT TV channel.

Asked about the possible ban for U.S. media to report from the Russian parliament, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday he views the initiative "with understanding."