Relationship dossier
France
Russia
Relationship assessment
France–Russia relations are substantially adversarial, dominated by the war in Ukraine and its security consequences.
France toward Russia
-55France has supported Ukraine against Russia’s invasion and joined EU sanctions targeting Russia. French officials have also maintained diplomatic contact with Russian leaders, but this has not displaced France’s opposition to Russia’s military actions.
Russia toward France
-60Russia has responded to French support for Ukraine with hostile rhetoric and measures affecting French diplomacy, including declaring 34 French diplomats persona non grata in 2022. Russian officials have also criticized France’s role in supporting Ukraine.
Overall relationship
-55The relationship is structured chiefly by Russia’s war against Ukraine and France’s sustained support for Ukraine and sanctions policy. Diplomatic contact has continued, but it coexists with severe political and security confrontation and does not amount to a broader cooperative partnership.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Relations have become substantially adversarial since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. France has supported Ukraine and participated in EU sanctions against Russia, while maintaining some diplomatic contact. Russia has taken hostile measures toward France, including declaring French diplomats persona non grata and criticizing French support for Ukraine. The war and its wider security consequences dominate the relationship.
Areas of tension
- Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and France’s support for Ukraine
- French participation in EU sanctions against Russia
- Russian measures against French diplomatic personnel
- French concerns about Russian interference and disinformation
Key developments
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, sharply worsening relations with France.
Russia declared 34 French diplomats persona non grata amid deteriorating bilateral relations.
Major uncertainties
- The extent and effectiveness of remaining bilateral diplomatic channels are unclear.
- The scale of Russian state-linked interference affecting French interests is difficult to establish.