I am no big fan of the EU decision to ban RT and Sputnik in Europe. Yes, they are Putin's regime propaganda outlets, we know that. They are always pushing the most divisive issues that serves most the Kremlin's political objectives. They are even able to push two opposite messages for Russian domestic audiences (get vaccinated!) and for European audiences (antivax!).

But their audience is marginal: those who know they are propaganda and fake news outlets, well, already know that. Those who lap them up are already gone beyond the looking glass (RT France has always a favorite of the CT and Qanon crowd).

Suppressing them is not going to change much to the information warfare, especially when you consider how impressively efficient the Ukrainian operation (and how crap the Russian one) has been since the beginning of the invasion (was it ten days ago?.

At worst, it may push additional folks to seek them out on the net (Streisand effect).

But the major issue is that it gives a perfect justification to the Kremlin to suppress European media like DW, France24 and the BBC from Russia, so no victory at all, VdL virtuous feelgood proposal not withstanding. Ala in all, not a good idea, methinks.