Ukrainian community in Paris disrupts launch of Russia Today editor’s book

PARIS – Members of the Franco-Ukrainian community staged a protest at the launch of “Forbidden,” a book by Ksenia Fedorova – the chief editor of Russian state media outlet Russia Today (RT) and prominent voice in the Kremlin’s propaganda media machine. 

It was led by the Association of Ukrainians in France (AUF), as reported by Volodymyr Kogutyak, who is UWC Vice President for Western Europe and the Paris-based organization’s vice president.

The demonstration was organized with the support of several civic and cultural groups, including Pour l’Ukraine, pour leur liberté et la nôtre, Comité Diderot, Kalyna, Ukraine Comb’Art, the French Committee of the European Network for Solidarity with Ukraine, and the Union des Ukrainiens de France.

In “Forbidden,” Fedorova denounces France’s ban on RT and claims to expose alleged Western disinformation tactics. 

She frames her expulsion from the French media space as a battle for freedom of expression, writing: “My expulsion was scripted, programmed, and approved. I was condemned to silence. They won.”

Kogutyak dismissed the book as a classic example of Russian propaganda disguised as free speech.

“Fedorova is not a journalist; she is a long-time mouthpiece for the Kremlin. Her attempt to present herself as a victim is a tactic to gain sympathy and distract from the true victims – the Ukrainians whom Russia is killing every day. We cannot allow the legitimization of Russian propaganda in France, disguised as literature or ‘alternative viewpoints,'” Kogutyak said.

Members of the Ukrainian community gathered during the presentation around the Fayard publishing booth, which had published the book, waving flags and chanting, “Solidarity with Ukraine.” An air raid siren could be heard in the background.

“No to Russian propaganda in France! Solidarity with Ukraine!” Kogutyak said.

As the war in Ukraine continues, activists say combating Russian disinformation in European cultural spaces remains a critical front in the broader fight for truth and justice.