Speaking at a news conference alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron accused Russian media outlets, Russia Today and Sputnik, of spreading fake news during France’s presidential elections.
Macron said the media outlets acted as “organs of mendacious propaganda,” “agents of influence” and were purveyors of “falsehoods” throughout the presidential campaign.
That is the reasoning Macron used to explain why he banned Kremlin-backed reporters from his campaign headquarters during his campaign.
“I will never give in to that,” Macron said of the Russian media’s attempts at influencing the outcome of the election. Macron and Putin held talks near Paris on Monday.
