Moscow has withdrawn the accreditation of a French journalist from Le Monde in retaliation for France's refusal to grant a work visa to a Russian reporter, Russia's Foreign Ministry

announced on Thursday.

In a statement on Telegram, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova explained that the French Embassy in Moscow had twice denied a visa request from a journalist working for Komsomolskaya Pravda. In response, Russia decided to take reciprocal measures.

Zakharova stated that both the French Foreign Ministry and the French ambassador in Moscow were warned in advance about the potential consequences of their decision. Ultimately, Russia chose to revoke the accreditation of Le Monde's Moscow correspondent, Benjamin Quenelle, whose credentials were due for a routine renewal. She emphasized that the move carried no “political subtext.”

Quenelle was informed of the situation and made efforts to resolve it, Zakharova noted. However, she criticized French officials for disregarding warnings and maintaining their stance on the Russian journalist's visa rejection. As a result, Russia proceeded with its retaliatory action.

"If the issue of visas for Russian journalists is resolved, the French correspondent will also regain accreditation," Zakharova added.

The decision has sparked concern at Le Monde, where editorial director Jérôme Fenoglio condemned Moscow’s actions. Writing in an article on Wednesday, he noted that for the first time since 1957, the newspaper would not have a correspondent stationed in Russia. He called on Russian authorities to reverse their decision.

According to the French Foreign Ministry, Moscow’s proposed candidates for work visas included individuals suspected of having ties to Russian intelligence services.

This development marks another escalation in strained relations between Russia and Western media, as both sides continue to impose restrictions on each other’s press representatives. Photo by I, TCY, Wikimedia commons.