The newspaper stated that Quénelle’s accreditation was suspended four months ago and was recently canceled entirely, effectively barring him from working in Russia. Read also: Six British diplomats accused of espionage by FSB,

Russia said on Thursday it had refused to renew the accreditation of Le Monde's correspondent due to France's refusal to issue a visa to a Russian reporter, leaving the renowned French daily absent from Moscow for the first time since the 1950s.

The French Foreign Ministry urged Russian authorities to reconsider their 'unjustified and arbitrary' decision to revoke the accreditation of Le Monde's Moscow correspondent.

Russia said on Thursday that it had withdrawn accreditation from Le Monde's Moscow correspondent Benjamin Quénelle due to Paris's refusal to issue a visa to a Russian reporter, leaving the paper without a presence in Moscow for the first time since the 1950s.