Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev speaks during his annual address to the State Duma | Alexander Nememov/AFP via Getty Images Russia to amend law to classify media as ‘foreign agents’ Moscow responds to a US demand for RT to register in this category in America.

The speaker of the Russian parliament warned on Friday that media from the United States and other countries could be declared "foreign agents" and thus be compelled to declare full details of their finances as well as their funding and staffing.

Vyacheslav Volodin, speaker of the State Duma, said the Parliament could back such a legislation as early as next week, arguing that some U.S. media were attempting to turn public opinion in Russia, Reuters reported. According to the BBC, media such as CNN, Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty were named as possible targets for the new law.

“We understand that it’s essential to protect the interests of our citizens and the country and we will do this in the same way as the country which lays claim to be the gold standard and mentor and which is constantly talking about freedom,” Volodin said, according to Reuters.

The U.S. Department of Justice recently requested that the Kremlin-backed TV station RT should register in the United States as a “foreign agent," Reuters reports — probably in response to U.S. intelligence agencies accusing Russia of interfering in last year's presidential election, which Russia has denied.