Posts say former RT France editor-in-chief Ksenia Fedorova has taken a job at French right-wing conservative TV channel CNews Politico and Russian RFI Service.
RT France went off the air in January 2023. Fedorova then stated that this was because the TV channel’s accounts were blocked. A press release on the RT France website stated that the channel was unable to continue operating after European sanctions were imposed on “shareholders and the parent company.” We are talking about the Russian channel ANO TV-Novosti, which includes RT.
After the channel was closed, Fedorova remained in France and published her memoirs there entitled “Exile. Freedom of expression is conditional” (Bannie. Liberté dʼexpression sous condition). by Data Le Monde, already in 2023, Fedorova was negotiating with the media group of billionaire Vincent Bollore, which unites the CNews TV channel, the Europe 1 radio station, the Journal du Dimanche newspaper and the Fayard publishing house (Fedorova’s book was later published in this publishing house).
Fedorova now appears regularly on Media Holding’s news programmes, where she comments on international news, and also runs her own weekly column on CNews. In addition, she released the mini-series “Light of Orthodoxy” about the Orthodox churches in Europe.
“Fedorova constantly reproduces the theses of the Russian state media. The most important is that ‘Russia wants peace,’ while the continuation of the war is due to the actions of Ukraine, Europe, the United States and NATO,” the RFI publication said.
Fedorova has also recruited former RT France employees to CNews, Politico wrote. For example, one of them hosts a show on which she appears regularly.
The publications indicate that Fedorova’s position in the company is so powerful that she can demand the dismissal of employees. In April, French General Bruno Clermont, who worked as a military expert for CNews, said he was fired at Fedorova’s request because he made negative comments about Russia regarding war-related events in the Middle East. “My guilt is simple: I upset the Russian woman Ksenia Fedorova,” he wrote on his LinkedIn page.
When asked for comment by Politico, Fedorova said the newspaper should publish her words in full. Politico declined to do so. CNews and Europe 1 also declined to comment.
Fedorova has already received complaints from the French television regulatory body, accusing her of promoting Kremlin ideas. However, as Politico noted, there is little French authorities can do about it, because there is no evidence that Fedorova is receiving money from Russian authorities.