Russian President Vladimir Putin granted Russia citizenship to Italian journalist Vincenzo Lorusso, who frequently collaborates with the Russian state-controlled outlet RT (formerly Russia Today).

In its coverage of this development, Euronews cited ISD’s earlier Dispatch on how RT is evading sanctions and spreading pro-Kremlin propaganda in Italy. Specifically, the outlet cited ISD’s finding that granting citizenship to Lorusso—an individual who carries the Kremlin’s initiatives to a broader audience—is an effective tool that allows Moscow to bypass EU sanctions.