News - Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/country-files/russia/news/?xtor=RSS-1 en Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/local/cache-vignettes/L144xH72/visuel_defaut_une_fd-44916-890bc.jpg?1702480420 https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr?xtor=RSS-1 Russia - Q&A - Extract from the press briefing (18 Mar. 2024) https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/country-files/russia/news/article/russia-q-a-extract-from-the-press-briefing-18-mar-2024?xtor=RSS-1 Q: Yesterday, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that France could play a role in the peaceful resolution of the conflict in Ukraine. Is France prepared to view this statement as a proposal to negotiate its role as mediator? A: I refer you to President Macron's statements. 2024-03-18 14:58:54 56036_278064 Russia – Results of the presidential election (18 Mar. 2024) https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/country-files/russia/news/article/russia-results-of-the-presidential-election-18-mar-2024?xtor=RSS-1 France notes the expected result of the presidential election by which Vladimir Putin continues as President of the Russian Federation for a fifth term. The electoral process in Russia went ahead against the backdrop of a heightened crackdown on civil society and all forms of opposition to the regime, ever greater restrictions on freedom of expression, and a ban on the operation of independent media outlets. The political opposition figure Alexei Navalny died a few weeks before this (…) 2024-03-18 12:13:39 56036_278056 Russia – International Criminal Court issues arrest warrants for Sergei Kobylash and Viktor Sokolov (7 Mar. 2024) https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/country-files/russia/news/article/russia-international-criminal-court-issues-arrest-warrants-for-sergei-kobylash?xtor=RSS-1 On 5 March 2024, the International Criminal Court's Pre-Trial Chamber II issued two arrest warrants against Sergei Ivanovich Kobylash, a lieutenant general in the Russian air force, and Viktor Nikolayevich Sokolov, an admiral and commander of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, for several war crimes and crimes against humanity during the period from at least 10 October 2022 to at least 9 March 2023. This is a milestone in the fight against impunity for crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine, (…) 2024-03-07 15:26:50 56036_277941 Russia – France utterly condemns Oleg Orlov's 2 ½-year prison sentence (27. 02. 2024) https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/country-files/russia/news/article/russia-france-utterly-condemns-oleg-orlov-s-2-%C2%BD-year-prison-sentence-27-02?xtor=RSS-1 France utterly condemns the two-and-a-half-year prison sentence handed down against human rights campaigner Oleg Orlov, co-founder of the Memorial organization, for criticizing Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. This sentence is outrageous and deeply unjust. Oleg Orlov was clearly the victim of judicial harassment during his trial, which was described by Dunja Mijatović, the Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights, as a “travesty of justice.” France applauds the role played (…) 2024-02-27 17:02:26 56036_277869 Russia – Russia's ambassador to France summoned to the Quai d'Orsay (19 Feb. 2024) https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/country-files/russia/news/article/russia-russia-s-ambassador-to-france-summoned-to-the-quai-d-orsay-19-feb-2024?xtor=RSS-1 On February 19, the Russian ambassador to France was summoned to the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs following the death of political opposition leader Alexey Navalny on February 16 in an Arctic penal colony. France holds the Russian authorities fully responsible for Alexey Navalny's death amid conditions of detention that had sharply deteriorated since his transfer to the penal colony. It demands a thorough, independent investigation in order to get to the bottom of this tragic (…) 2024-02-20 16:28:40 56036_277789 Russia - Q&A - Extract from the press briefing (13 Feb. 2024) https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/country-files/russia/news/article/russia-q-a-extract-from-the-press-briefing-13-feb-2024?xtor=RSS-1 Q: Did the authors of the VIRGINUM report on foreign digital interference and the authors of the European report on the same subject work together on the technical elements? A: The technical aspects of the report were compiled by French agencies and coordinated by VIGINUM. They were not shared with European institutions prior to publication, but they could lead to discussions in the coming days. Q: A group of 80 Latvian parliamentarians urged President Macron and the French Parliament to (…) 2024-02-13 16:51:56 56036_277710 Foreign digital interference – France detects a Russian propaganda network (12 Feb. 2024) https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/country-files/russia/news/article/foreign-digital-interference-france-detects-a-russian-propaganda-network-12-feb?xtor=RSS-1 M. Stéphane Séjourné, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, today announced that France has detected a propaganda network called “Portal Kombat”. In order to mislead European public opinion, particularly in France, this network, made up of so-called digital information portals, spreads pro-Russian content promoting the Russian invasion in Ukraine and denigrating the Ukrainian authorities. The detection and analysis work carried out by the VIGINUM department has allowed us to conclude that (…) 2024-02-13 12:32:44 56036_277699 Russia - Q&A - Extract from the press briefing (5 Feb. 2024) https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/country-files/russia/news/article/russia-q-a-extract-from-the-press-briefing-5-feb-2024?xtor=RSS-1 Q: Was Alexey Meshkov, Russia's ambassador to France, summoned to the Quai d'Orsay in direct response to the summoning of Pierre Lévy, France's ambassador to Russia, to the Russian Foreign Ministry? A: France's ambassador to Russia will be summoned to the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs on February 5. On that occasion, France will reaffirm its strong condemnation of Russian air strikes in Ukraine, which killed two French citizens working for a humanitarian NGO and wounded three other (…) 2024-02-05 16:09:16 56036_277577 Russia – France renews its support for Mémorial France and hails its commitment to an accurate, restorative vision of history and remembrance (15.12.23) https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/country-files/russia/news/article/russia-france-renews-its-support-for-memorial-france-and-hails-its-commitment?xtor=RSS-1 France renews its full support for the NGO Mémorial France and hails its commitment to an accurate, restorative vision of history and remembrance on the occasion of the December 15th conference, “Imperial violence: Reconsidering Soviet history through the prism of current events” (“Violences impériales. Repenser l'histoire soviétique au prisme de l'actualité”). Minister Catherine Colonna will be participating remotely in this conference, which has the support of the Institut Français and the Ministry (…) 2023-12-15 18:11:29 56036_276873 Russia – Situation of Alexei Navalny (15.12.23) https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/country-files/russia/news/article/russia-situation-of-alexei-navalny-15-12-23?xtor=RSS-1 The fact that we have had no news for the past several days about the situation of imprisoned political opposition leader Alexei Navalny is very troubling, given that his health has sharply deteriorated since his imprisonment. France holds Russia responsible for the health of its detainees, especially political prisoners, and reminds Russia of is international obligations with regard to human rights. We call on Russia to release all political prisoners immediately and unconditionally, and (…) 2023-12-15 18:09:30 56036_276872