# France orders expulsion of former RT France director Ksenia Fedorova over Kremlin propaganda > France's Interior Ministry ordered Russian journalist Ksenia Fedorova, the former director of RT France until 2023, to leave the country on July 29 after concluding she was a 'channel for disinformation' and had systematically spread Kremlin propaganda across French television and radio; President Emmanuel Macron had questioned Fedorova's journalist status as early as 2017 **Meta:** type: event · date: 2026-07-29 · heads: 他们没说的, 谁说了算 · 6 takes · 5 lenses · 6 regions ## Summary France's Interior Ministry ordered Ksenia Fedorova, the former director of RT France, to leave the country on July 29, citing her as a channel for Kremlin disinformation. Fedorova headed RT France until 2023, a year after France banned the channel following Russia's invasion of [Ukraine](/zh/entity/ukraine). She continued to appear regularly on French television and radio after the ban. President [Emmanuel Macron](/zh/entity/person/emmanuel-macron) first questioned her journalist credentials in 2017, and reaffirmed that position in June 2026. The French government cited her systematic spread of pro-Russian narratives across French broadcast media as the basis for the expulsion, which was issued by the Interior Ministry on national-security grounds rather than as a visa violation. ## The split Western European and Ukrainian outlets covered the expulsion as a proportionate and overdue counter-disinformation measure. The Moscow Times, reporting from an exile base, framed it in the context of European-wide restrictions on Kremlin media operatives. South Korean coverage treated it as a European press-freedom precedent with broader implications. RT and Russian state media's coverage of the order was not in the feed. ## By the numbers - 2022, year France banned RT France following Russia's invasion of Ukraine - 2017, year Macron first publicly questioned Fedorova's journalist status - 1, expulsion order, issued by France's Interior Ministry on July 29 ## Why it matters France's move extends a pattern of European governments using immigration and national-security tools against Kremlin-linked media operatives who remained on EU soil after the 2022 RT ban. It tests France's press-freedom principles, since Fedorova was appearing on French media as a commentator, not as RT staff. The case could set a precedent for how other EU states treat Russian propagandists operating under commercial media cover. ## What to watch - Whether Fedorova challenges the expulsion order in French administrative courts - Whether other EU member states follow with similar orders against Russian media figures operating domestically - Russia's formal diplomatic response, if any, and whether it triggers a reciprocal action against French journalists in Russia ## Regional takes (batched by bias / lens) ### Swedish independent outlet, citing French Interior Ministry - **Sweden Herald** (Sweden, en) — Sweden Herald provided the first English-language confirmed report, citing the French Interior Ministry's expulsion order and describing Fedorova as spreading Russian propaganda after France banned RT in 2022; it noted she had continued appearing on French media after RT France's closure. > "France is expelling pro-Moscow television journalist Xenia Fedorova after accusations that she is spreading Russian propaganda, the French Interior Ministry said." Source: https://swedenherald.com/article/france-expels-prokremlin-journalist-xenia-fedorova-over-russian-propaganda-claims ### Russian independent press in exile, critical of the Kremlin - **The Moscow Times** (Russia (editorial base: Amsterdam), en) — The Moscow Times covered the expulsion from a Russian opposition perspective, framing it as consistent with European-wide moves to restrict Kremlin media operatives and noting Fedorova continued appearing across French broadcast media despite RT France being banned since 2022. > "France has ordered Russian journalist Ksenia Fedorova to leave the country over allegations that she spreads Kremlin propaganda across French television and radio, the interior ministry said." Source: https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/07/29/france-orders-expulsion-of-former-rt-editor-ksenia-fedorova-a93373 ### South Korean public broadcaster, Asian coverage of European media-security case - **SBS Korea** (South Korea, en) — SBS Korea reported the French government's description of Fedorova as a 'channel for disinformation' who repeatedly appeared on major media outlets to spread pro-Russian messages, extending the story's reach to East Asian audiences as a European press-freedom precedent. > "The French government has ordered the deportation of a Russian propagandist who repeatedly appeared on major media outlets to spread pro-Russian messages." Source: https://news.sbs.co.kr/english/article.do?news_id=N1008681572 ### Pan-European broadcaster, adding 2017 Macron context - **Euronews** (European Union, en) — Euronews added historical context: Macron in 2017 implied Fedorova was not a genuine journalist, a characterization he reaffirmed in June 2026; the outlet framed the expulsion as the culmination of nearly a decade of French official unease about Fedorova's role. > "In 2017, French President Emmanuel Macron implied that Fedorova was not a journalist. Asked again in June, Macron said his opinion of her remained unchanged." Source: https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/07/29/pro-russian-propagandist-xenia-fedorova-faces-expulsion-from-france ### unlabelled - **Liga News** (Ukraine, en) — Source: https://news.liga.net/en/war/news/france-has-decided-to-expel-the-former-director-of-rt-france-over-russian-propaganda - **France 24** (France, en) — Source: https://www.france24.com/en/france/20260729-france-expels-russian-journalist-xenia-fedorova-over-alleged-kremlin-propaganda ## Across the graph - Related: [[germany-merz-cdu-crisis-0729]] - Entities: France, Russia, Person:emmanuel Macron --- Canonical: https://rbtfl.xyz/zh/n/france-fedorova-expulsion-0729