Nuñez defends expulsion order against Xenia Fedorova

Paris – 30 July 2026: French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez has defended the expulsion order against Xenia Fedorova as a necessary protective measure. In a television interview, he rejected the accusation that the decision was directed against freedom of expression. Rather, he said, it concerned a serious infringement of the nation’s fundamental interests and the dissemination of Russian propaganda in France.

According to consistent media reports, the order was issued on 29 July 2026. The Interior Ministry accuses Fedorova of contributing to the dissemination of disinformation and attempts at political destabilization. In the authority’s view, such narratives are aimed at influencing public opinion and weakening the trust of French and European citizens in their institutions.

Fedorova previously headed the French branch of the Russian state broadcaster RT. Following Russia’s attack on Ukraine on 24 February 2022, the broadcaster was no longer permitted to be distributed in the European Union; RT France later ceased operations. Fedorova subsequently continued to appear as a commentator in French media. The authorities’ accusation therefore does not concern a single statement, but what they regard as ongoing influence operations.

Nuñez stated that Fedorova had continued to disseminate the positions of the Russian state in France. The government classifies this as a matter of public order and national security. During a parliamentary debate in June, the interior minister had already explained that an impairment of fundamental national interests could be considered a disturbance of public order and, under certain conditions, justify the withdrawal of a residence permit.

According to Le Monde, Fedorova held a 10-year residence card that had been renewed in August 2024. Nuñez said, according to the report, that the renewal had taken place as part of automated administrative procedures. The ministerial order now withdraws the legal basis for her residence status and simultaneously prohibits her from engaging in professional activity in France.

The case has triggered a political and legal debate over Russian influence operations, state protective powers, and the limits of residence-law measures. Several members of the French Parliament and the European Parliament had spoken out in recent weeks against Fedorova’s continued stay. On 23 July, the French Foreign Ministry publicly acknowledged the discussion concerning her role.

Legal remedies are available against the administrative decision. No final judicial review has yet taken place. Until then, the Interior Ministry’s account remains an official assessment: Fedorova is accused of endangering French interests, not merely of expressing a politically controversial opinion.