EU to sanction 150 entities and 50 banks on Monday as France condemns Russian journalist ban

The European Union will approve fresh sanctions against Russia on Monday covering 150 additional entities and 50 banks, with France responsible for proposing the bulk of the new listings, French Minister for European Affairs Benjamin Haddad said Thursday.

Haddad told LCI television that "on Monday, we will take new sanctions against Russia" on 150 additional entities and 50 banks, and that France had proposed the bulk of the entities to add.

Haddad also condemned Moscow's decision on Wednesday to ban four French citizens from entering Russia: Le Monde journalist Ariane Chemin, freelance journalist Paul Gogo, and MPs Sacha Houlié and Arthur Delaporte. The ban was presented by Russia as a response to France's expulsion in July of TV commentator Xenia Fedorova, a former chief of Russia Today France.

"This is intimidation. France will not be intimidated," Haddad said, describing the banned lawmakers and journalists as people doing their jobs.

France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said the Kremlin framing the ban as a response to Fedorova's expulsion "confirmed her ties to Russian authorities."

Delaporte told RFI the move was "particularly worrying" given an ongoing French presidential campaign in which Russia is seeking to influence public debate. Houlié described the ban as "recognition" of his work commissioning reports on foreign interference.

Fedorova had been a prominent figure on French right-wing outlets including CNews, Europe 1 and JDNews, all belonging to conservative tycoon Vincent Bolloré. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez had accused her of relaying Russian propaganda against "the fundamental interests of the nation."

Haddad's remarks came as leaders from more than 40 European countries gathered in Dublin on Thursday to discuss continental security, amid a United States-backed push to revive peace talks on Russia's war in Ukraine.