Russia's RT America registers as 'foreign agent' in U.S.

Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of Russian broadcaster RT, meets with journalists, with the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour seen in the background, in Moscow, Russia, October 17, 2016. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov

MOSCOW/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Kremlin-backed television station RT America registered Monday with the U.S. Department of Justice as a "foreign agent" in the United States, the outlet's editor in chief said and the Department of Justice confirmed later in the day.

U.S. intelligence agencies said in a report in January that the television station, which broadcasts on cable in the United States, is "Russia's state-run propaganda machine" and that it contributed to the Kremlin’s campaign to interfere with last year's presidential election in favour of Republican Party candidate Donald Trump.