France ceases discussions with Russia over disinformation concerns

Actions and statements by Vladimir Putin and the Russian government have been repeatedly questioned and criticized by the international community for spreading false information.

For example, before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Russian authorities denied plans for the attack despite the assembly of large military forces at the border with Ukraine. After the invasion began, the Russian government and its representatives used false pretexts and narratives to justify their actions, including claims of "denazification" and "demilitarization" of Ukraine, which were widely rejected and condemned as baseless.

Another example is Russia's downplaying of the scale of military operations and their impact on the civilian population of Ukraine, including denying attacks on civilian targets, which contrasts with numerous evidence. Russia also portrayed its actions as a defense of Orthodoxy or protection of the Russian-speaking population in Ukraine, which was criticized as an attempt to manipulate public opinions and justify military aggression.

These and other false claims and informational manipulations were met with international condemnation, the imposition of sanctions against Russia and its representatives, and also international support for Ukraine.

French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourne has had enough and announced that France no longer wants to discuss the situation with Russian officials.

Today, it is not in our interests to speak with Russian officials because the communiqués that are issued and the messages that are conveyed are lies," - was supposed to be given by Stéphane Séjourne, as reported by the newspaper "Le Monde".