EU 'strongly condemns' US sanctions against five Europeans

They were responding after the US State Department announced Tuesday it would deny visas to the five, accusing them of seeking to "coerce" American social media platforms into censoring viewpoints they oppose. France and Germany also condemned the news from Washington. A statement from the Commission said: "We have requested clarifications from the US authorities and remain engaged. If needed, we will respond swiftly and decisively to defend our regulatory autonomy against unjustified measures.