Russia has directly rejected allegations that it is trying to interfere in France’s 2027 presidential election, saying Moscow does not intervene in the internal affairs of sovereign states. In comments to Anadolu, the Russian Embassy in Paris said Western policies against Russia, justified by what it called a “Russian threat,” would ultimately fail. France’s presidential election is scheduled for April 18, 2027, with a second round set for May 2 if no candidate wins a majority in the first round.

The embassy said Western countries repeatedly make unfounded accusations against Russia and use the idea of a Russian threat to pursue anti-Russian policies and raise military spending. It also argued that increased military expenditure would harm socially important sectors, expand budget deficits and public debt, and leave future generations with the burden.

French officials and political leaders have accused Russia of intervening in domestic politics in recent months. France’s foreign digital interference monitoring agency, Viginum, alleged that two pro-Russian networks, Matryoshka and Storm-1516, spread misleading information during the summer. French authorities said the campaigns targeted Gabriel Attal, Edouard Philippe and European Parliament member Raphael Glucksmann.