EU sanctions former RT France chief Xenia Fedorova

Former RT France chief Xenia Fedorova has been placed under EU sanctions over her alleged role in spreading pro-Kremlin narratives, further complicating her efforts to return to French media.

The Council of the European Union added Fedorova to its sanctions list on Thursday, accusing her of being “active in the dissemination of pro-Russian narratives in France and the Union in the context of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine”.

The decision extends measures already imposed by France against Fedorova, who has become a prominent media figure on outlets associated with conservative billionaire Vincent Bolloré.

Under the EU sanctions, Fedorova faces an asset freeze across all 27 member states. EU individuals and entities are prohibited from making funds available to her, restricting her ability to receive payments, including a salary.

She is also subject to a travel ban preventing her from entering or transiting through EU territory.

According to the document, published on Thursday in the EU’s Official Journal and seen by Euronews, Fedorova is accused of relaying “narratives aligned with those promoted by the Russian authorities”.

“In particular, Xenia Fedorova has portrayed Western and European support for Ukraine as prolonging the war, presented Russia as seeking peace while portraying Europe as pursuing confrontation, questioned established accounts concerning the unlawful transfer and deportation of Ukrainian children, and disseminated narratives portraying European and NATO policies as threats to European security,” the document further stated.

In its decision, the EU noted that Fedorova had regularly appeared on French media outlets, including CNews, Europe 1 and Le Journal du Dimanche (JDD), following the suspension of RT’s broadcasting activities.

According to the Council, these appearances allowed her to continue spreading pro-Russian narratives to a wide audience in France.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot welcomed the agreement on Wednesday during a press briefing at the United Nations in New York, a day before the sanctions were formally announced.

Barrot welcomed the EU’s decision to extend measures already introduced by France to all 27 member states.

Following Thursday’s announcement, he said France and the EU would continue to counter Russia’s alleged destabilisation activities.

“France, like the European Union, will continue to thwart the destabilisation activities carried out by Russia on our soil,” he said.

“Our determination is absolute: those who think they can conduct hostile operations against our democracy with impunity will face the consequences”.

The French Foreign Ministry subsequently confirmed that France and Germany had jointly proposed Fedorova’s inclusion on the sanctions list, describing her as an “active Russian influence agent in France”.

French authorities warn against Fedorova’s return to broadcasting

Fedorova, who previously headed RT France, has been subject to a French deportation order and asset freeze since late July.

At the time, French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said her behaviour undermined France’s fundamental interests and that her presence in the country constituted a serious and immediate threat to public order.

Fedorova’s lawyer subsequently said she had been abroad on holiday when she learned of the measures. She has not been seen in France since.

However, there were indications that media outlets associated with Bolloré were exploring ways for her to resume appearances from outside France.

On 10 September, Nuñez warned CNews that it could face “criminal sanctions” if Fedorova returned to its broadcasts from abroad.

In a letter to French audiovisual regulator Arcom, reported by Le Monde and AFP, the minister argued that allowing her to appear remotely could “facilitate the interference operations she is accused of”.

Fedorova has challenged the French deportation order in court and has regularly addressed French authorities on X.

She has not yet publicly commented on the latest EU sanctions.