The French Interior Ministry told POLITICO the deportation order was signed Tuesday.
Xenia Fedorova did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but his lawyer told Agence France-Presse he will contest the decision.
Fedorova headed RT France before it was closed due to EU sanctions in 2023. Since then she has been a presenter at CNews TV channel, Europe 1 radio station and Le Journal du Dimanche newspaper – all owned by French conservative billionaire Vincent Bolloré.
Like POLITICO previously reportedThe television star’s comments highlighting Moscow’s arguments on Ukraine, NATO and European security had been raising concerns among Russian lawmakers and propagandists for months, especially ahead of the 2027 French presidential election. Le Monde also information Fedorova allegedly became very close to Bolloré, a powerful man who has been contributing his media empire to try and influence French politics.
In her announcements on Bolloré platforms, Fedorova he has often been accused French President Emmanuel Macron and NATO’s warmongers, portraying Russia as a peaceful country that wants to end the war in Ukraine. He too he constantly criticizes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and portrays the country as corrupt and incapable of winning wars.
In Brussels, some members of the European Parliament have been unsuccessful to persuade Fedorova to be included in the Russian sanctions packages of the EU, while several parliamentarians in Paris they have pushed so that his residence permit is revoked.
Fedorova is now under house arrest and banned from working on French soil. However, according to Libération, the lack of diplomatic relations between Paris and Moscow will make it really difficult to deport him back to Russia.
Anthony Lattier contributed to this report.
