Expelled Kremlin Propagandist’s TV Return Could Trigger Criminal Charges in France

France’s interior minister has warned that television channel CNews could face criminal proceedings if it puts expelled Russian propagandist Xenia Fedorova back on air, even remotely, after French authorities determined that her activities served Kremlin disinformation efforts and threatened the country’s national interests. Fedorova, 45, was ordered to leave France in July and had her assets frozen after authorities said she had acted as a relay for Russian disinformation campaigns aimed at manipulating French public debate.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez raised the issue in a letter to France’s ARCOM media regulator after CNews indicated that Fedorova could return to its programming by video link from abroad. Any return to air would “directly contravene” the expulsion and asset-freezing measures imposed against her and could result in several criminal charges, Nuñez wrote in the letter, revealed by Le Monde and seen by AFP. According to the expulsion order, Fedorova served as “a relay for disinformation campaigns” directed by Russian authorities with the aim of destabilizing public order in France. French authorities also described her activities as damaging the “fundamental interests of the State.” Fedorova previously led RT France, the French branch of Russia’s state-controlled RT network. The European Union suspended RT and Sputnik broadcasting across the bloc in March 2022, days after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, describing Kremlin-backed information manipulation as an operational tool supporting Moscow’s aggression. Other Topics of Interest Canada Pledges Over $2B in Air Defense, First Drone Deal Signed The package includes a veterans' fund and support for 21 Ukrainian pilots training in Canada. The two countries also formalized the Drone Deal. After RT France ceased broadcasting, Fedorova became a commentator for media outlets belonging to conservative French billionaire Vincent Bolloré’s group, including CNews. Her appearances repeatedly drew scrutiny over narratives echoing official Kremlin positions on Russia’s war against Ukraine. France’s media regulator had previously received complaints concerning Fedorova’s claims, including statements blaming the West for prolonging Russia’s war and allegations about Latvia that regulators considered misleading. French authorities eventually moved against her in July, stripping her of her residence permit, ordering her expulsion and freezing her assets. Germany had already barred Fedorova from entering the country in 2024 over concerns about Russian interference activities, according to the French expulsion order. Despite the measures, CNews has indicated that Fedorova could return to its broadcasts remotely from outside France. The channel has argued that its lawyers believe the expulsion order does not necessarily prevent her from appearing by video link. Nuñez rejected that interpretation. He argued that providing Fedorova with airtime and the technical means to appear on French television could amount to circumventing the measures imposed against her and facilitating the same Russian influence activities that prompted her expulsion. The warning is particularly significant because Fedorova’s assets and economic resources have also been frozen. According to the Interior Ministry, the restrictions could apply even if she appeared without receiving direct payment. Fedorova has rejected France’s actions against her as “censorship.” She maintains that she was outside France on holiday when the expulsion order took effect and therefore was never physically deported. That does not alter her legal status: she remains subject to the French expulsion order and restrictions resulting from the decision. Fedorova has continued publishing commentary from abroad and has said she hopes to return to French television to present what she calls “the Russian point of view.” The confrontation comes amid growing European efforts to counter Russian disinformation and influence operations linked to Moscow’s war against Ukraine. When the EU banned RT and Sputnik in 2022, it said Russia was conducting a systematic campaign of information manipulation designed to justify and support its invasion of Ukraine and destabilize European societies. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.