In most modern industrialized countries there is a shortlist of newspapers that, according to general consensus, belong in a top tier of journalistic excellence. In France until recently I would have placed both Le Monde and Le Figaro in the shortlist. However, Le Figaro’s editorial policy on Russia has been gradually changing to the point that I wonder whether the paper understands the damage it is doing to its own credibility.

Owned by a French arms company with close ties to President Nicolas Sarkozy, and tremendous growing interests in Russia, Le Figaro has been increasingly soft on Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, reading like tendentious sycophancy. This became clear this week as they welcomed Putin to Paris with a flattering page one photo along with his French counterpart, François Fillon under the headline “Putin in Paris to negotiate some 20 agreements“.