Russia bans two French lawmakers and two journalists from entry

Russia on Wednesday said it was banning entry to two French lawmakers and two French journalists in response to the expulsion of a pro-Kremlin TV commentator by France this year.

Foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said lawmakers Sacha Houlié and Arthur Delaporte would be banned, along with journalists Paul Gogo and Ariane Chemin.

She said this was for the alleged "harassment" of Xenia Fedorova, former head of RT France who was described as an "agent of influence" by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and expelled.

Fedorova, who wrote for right-wing French media, slammed "censorship" against her, while Moscow for months pledged to retaliate against "persecution".

Ordering her expulsion in July, France's Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez had accused her of relaying Russian propaganda in an attempt to attack "the fundamental interests of the nation".

Moscow has long bristled against European restrictions on its state-backed media and journalists, who Brussels and many countries in the EU have slammed as Kremlin mouthpieces.

Russia has banned dozens of Western journalists and lawmakers from entering the country since it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.