DISINFO: Macron spoke about RT and Sputnik in order to distract the audience from problems in France
SUMMARY
Macron spoke about RT and Sputnik in order to distract the audience from problems in France. In late January, speaking to journalists about the yellow vests protests, Emmanuel Macron referred to “the assistance of a foreign power,” such as Russia, which, “through Russia Today or Sputnik, […] often features in their discourse.” These very surprising remarks contradict the information provided by the French intelligence services. It may be an attempt to hide the fact that there is a problem in the country. French authorities have not found any trace of Russian interference in the yellow vests protests.
RESPONSE
The disinforming outlet gave a simplified and cut-out version of what Mediapart.Fr reported on March 8, 2019. Indeed, Mediapart spoke to unnamed French intelligence sources asking for comments on whether any Russian meddling in the yellow vests' protests had taken place and received a negative answer. But, as Mediapart.fr admits, there is another body which is in charge of a proper investigation of this alleged meddling: the General Secretariat for Defense and National Security (SGDSN). The latter's investigation has not been concluded yet. See further reporting on potential Kremlin involvement in amplifying the yellow vests' protests here and here. Pro-Kremlin outlets often try to convince the audience that some claims are only made to distract us from the real problems. This is applied in this case, and we have also seen it, for example, in the Skripal poisoning case.