Original sentence: According to RT's mission statement "RT provides an alternative perspective on major global events, and acquaints international audience with the Russian viewpoint".Western media perception of the network ranges from having a clear pro-Russian perspective, to having a strong pro-Russian bias, to being a propaganda outlet for the Russian government
Edited sentence: The criticism of the network's nature as a propaganda tool increased during the coverage of the 2014 Crimean crisis.The network has been repeatedly referred to as a propaganda outlet and has been described as an "extension of... Putin's ... confrontational foreign policy"