Advisor to the head of the President's Office Mykhailo Podoliak says that President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky acted according to the law, enacting a decision of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC), which meets the interests of the people and the task of protecting the state and national security.

Podoliak emphasized in a comment to the Interfax-Ukraine news agency that the presidential decree on the enactment of the NSDC decision against the 112.Ukraine, ZIK and NewsOne TV channels was issued on the basis of Article 107 of the Constitution of Ukraine, and the NSDC decision is based on the Law of Ukraine "On Sanctions", proposals of the Verkhovna Rada (resolution of the Verkhovna Rada of October 4, 2018 No. 2589-VIII) and the Security Service of Ukraine.

"In previous years, sanctions based on this law and the relevant decisions of the NSDC were already imposed. So, on April 28, 2017, a decree of the then president was published, which enacted the NSDC decision containing a list of 1,228 persons against whom our state applied sanctions. Some of these people are citizens of Ukraine. Accordingly, this experience of imposing sanctions against citizens of Ukraine on the basis of the Law 'On Sanctions' already exists," said the advisor to the head of the President's Office.

According to him, this decision will not raise questions from those who carefully analyze Russia's disinformation activities against Ukraine.

"Sanctions were imposed against Medvedchuk's channels [chairman of the political council of the Opposition Platform - For Life], because there is confirmation of their financing from other states, they are carrying out anti-state information policy and propaganda in the interests of the Russian Federation. The way how in due time the ownership was transferred to the companies that hold the corresponding television licenses raises serious questions," Podoliak explained.

He also stressed that the decision of the NSDC and the presidential decree relate to the issue of national security, and "in the conditions of Russia's aggressive actions, including in the information space, it would be unconstitutional to refrain from sanctions against such a person and such companies working practically for Russia."

At the same time, the Office of the President declares that nothing threatens freedom of speech in Ukraine.

"If Taras Kozak believes that his rights have been violated, he has the right to go to court. But the full transparency and the decision taken by the NSDC in the interests of Ukraine, and the activities of TV channels from the Medvedchuk pool in the interests of Russia suggest that then it will be difficult for Taras Kozak to justify something in court," Podoliak said.