Russian propagandist Xenia Fedorova faces deportation from France
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France's Interior Ministry announced on July 29 that Russian propagandist Xenia Fedorova, who previously headed the Kremlin media outlet RT France, faces deportation from the country.
According to French media outlet Libération, which obtained a copy of the order given by the police to Fedorova's lawyers, French authorities said that her "conduct undermines the fundamental interests of the state," and her continued presence on French territory "therefore constitutes a particularly serious and immediate threat to public order."
In early 2023, the French government froze RT France’s bank accounts as part of the European Union’s ninth package of sanctions against Russia.
Despite this, Fedorova was able to remain in France and continued to appear as a political commentator. She has consistently promoted pro-Kremlin narratives, particularly in French media outlets owned by the Bolloré group.
The group’s owner, Vincent Bolloré, has long been a vocal supporter of France’s hard right — a political faction with well-documented questions surrounding its ties to Russian money.
Some of the pro-Kremlin narratives promoted by Fedorova included claims that Europe is overstating the threat posed by Russia, that Russia desires peace while only the West seeks to prolong the war in Ukraine, and that France should seek a relationship with Russia independent of NATO.
She also claimed that RT France was shut down for "political reasons" rather than the fact that the Kremlin-funded media outlet was spreading disinformation in the West.
The renewal of Fedorova’s residence permit in 2024 for another ten years ignited major controversy in France.
Emmanuel Piwnica, Fedorova's lawyer, told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that Fedorova would appeal the deportation order and that it was "a serious infringement of the freedom of speech of a journalist."
