Zakharova said of retaliatory measures in case of escalation in the media issue in France

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that Moscow would be forced to respond if the French authorities continue escalation in the media issue. This is reported on February 7 on the website of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

"Unlike the authorities of the Republic of "Liberty, Equality and Fraternity", we have no one restricts their participation in major press events, does not deprive already issued accreditations, does not arrest their bank accounts. If the French authorities go for further escalation, we will be forced to respond," Zakharova said when asked by journalists about the actions of the French Foreign Ministry against Russian media representatives.

According to her, the French authorities are giving in to "traditional for the Western mainstream melancholy" on security issues. Zakharova noted that 33 employees of nine media outlets in France are in the Russian capital in comfortable conditions.

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Earlier in the day, Maria Zakharova told Izvestia that after a new case of France's refusal to issue visas to Russian media representatives - Izvestia journalist Nikolai Ivanov and cameraman Georgy Bekauri - it can be stated that Paris is harassing Russian press workers.

Ivanov and Bekauri were planning to go to France to film a report on the French resistance for the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War. According to Izvestia's correspondent, the film crew was refused visas at the embassy with the wording that "one or more EU states consider them a threat to public order or internal security."

At the same time, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized that France's statements that Izvestia journalists pose a danger to European Union (EU) countries could be considered discrimination against Russian media by Paris.

Before that, on February 6, it was specified that the French embassy in Russia twice refused to grant a visa to work in Paris to the international journalist of the newspaper "Komsomolskaya Pravda" Alexander Kudela. Zakharova called on the French authorities to reconsider the decision not to grant Kudela a visa.

She also responded to the statement of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs with a call to reconsider the decision to revoke the accreditation of Le Monde's permanent correspondent in Moscow Benjamin Kenel, calling the withdrawal of the document a forced measure. According to her, the retaliatory measures against Kenel will be lifted immediately after the French side changes the decision on the visa status of the Russian media representative.

In September 2024, Zakharova said that the West is putting pressure on Russian media because of the growing attention to them on the world stage. According to her, this is happening not only because of the desire to encroach on freedom of speech in the country, but also to prevent Western public figures from having a voice.