Four French journalists and MPs banned from entering Russia, a new step in the deterioration of relations between Paris and Moscow

Russian authorities have taken three months to respond to the summer expulsion of Kremlin propagandist Xenia Fedorova by France. On November 11, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced a symbolic retaliation by banning several French journalists and deputies from entering Russia. This includes Ariane Chemin from Le Monde, independent journalist Paul Gogo, and deputies Sacha Houlié and Arthur Delaporte. None of them were in Russia or planned to visit. The ban was justified by Maria Zakharova as a response to their involvement in the harassment of Fedorova, who previously led RT France before its ban in 2022 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The Kremlin had initially reacted with a simple statement condemning the French actions as unacceptable.