Dmitriev says West may have passed “point of no return” over France protests
In short
Kirill Dmitriev, Russia’s special presidential representative for investment and economic cooperation with foreign countries, said the West may have already passed a “point of no return”, blaming systematic lies and its failure to fix problems such as migration, energy miscalculations and fomenting wars. He made the comment on X about clashes between police and protesting high school students in France, where demonstrations over school conditions have run since late September. Kommersant reported nearly 200 schoolchildren injured according to the French education minister, around 5,000 detentions and about 400 schools closed.
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Kirill Dmitriev, Russia’s special presidential representative for investment and economic cooperation with foreign countries, said the West may have already passed a “point of no return”, Russian state and business outlets reported on 7 October. The remark was carried by RIA Novosti, TASS, Kommersant, RBC and Vedomosti. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
Dmitriev wrote on X that this had happened “due to systematic lies and the inability to eliminate the true causes of its problems”, which he listed as migration, energy miscalculations, fomenting wars, polarization and self-destruction under the influence of woke ideology, according to Kommersant and Vedomosti. “One cannot forever blame others for one’s own problems,” he said, both outlets reported. TASS said Dmitriev held that Western countries are unable to address the root causes of their problems. [ 2 , 3 , 5 ]
Kommersant reported that Dmitriev made the comment on a video of clashes between police and protesters in France, while RBC said he was commenting on clashes between security forces and schoolchildren. Vedomosti characterised the remarks as his comment on mass protests by French high school students. [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]
In France, high school students have been protesting over conditions in schools. Kommersant reported the protests began on 21 September at the Saint-Exupéry lycée in a Paris suburb, while Vedomosti said they began in late September and were organised by the student union Soyuz Litseistov. Vedomosti listed the demands as addressing teacher and medical staff shortages, overloaded schedules, overcrowded classes and uncomfortable temperatures. [ 3 , 5 ]
According to Kommersant, the French education minister said nearly 200 schoolchildren had been injured; the same report also said 170 students and 78 education staff had been injured since the start of the demonstrations and that about 5,000 people had been detained. Around 400 schools across the country were closed for safety reasons and because of blockades, Kommersant reported. [ 3 ]
Vedomosti reported that on 6 October French President Emmanuel Macron convened an emergency meeting over the protests, attended by Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu and national education minister Édouard Geffroy. The same day, US President Donald Trump linked the protests to mass migration, saying Islam was seeking to “capture” the country, according to Vedomosti. [ 5 ]
TASS identified Dmitriev as the presidential special representative for investment and economic cooperation with foreign countries, while Vedomosti described him as the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund. [ 2 , 5 ]
Why it matters
The remarks add a Russian official’s voice to international commentary on France’s school protests, which the documents say also drew a comment from US President Donald Trump. Because the speaker is a presidential special representative and, according to Vedomosti, the head of Russia’s Direct Investment Fund, the statement is aimed at Western governments rather than at French domestic policy. The documents give no indication of any Russian government action attached to it.
Key facts
- Kirill Dmitriev, Russia’s special presidential representative for investment and economic cooperation with foreign countries, said the West may have already passed a “point of no return”. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- Dmitriev listed the causes as systematic lies and the West’s inability to eliminate migration, energy miscalculations, fomenting wars, polarization and self-destruction under woke ideology. [ 3 , 5 ]
- He wrote on X that one cannot forever blame others for one’s own problems. [ 3 , 5 ]
- Kommersant and RBC reported that Dmitriev was commenting on clashes between French police and protesting schoolchildren. [ 3 , 4 ]
- French high school students are protesting over teacher and medical staff shortages, overloaded schedules, overcrowded classes and uncomfortable temperatures. [ 3 , 5 ]
- Kommersant reported that, per the French education minister, nearly 200 schoolchildren were injured, and separately that 170 students and 78 education staff were injured and about 5,000 people detained. [ 3 ]
- About 400 schools across France were closed for safety reasons and because of blockades, Kommersant reported. [ 3 ]
- On 6 October President Emmanuel Macron held an emergency meeting with Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu and education minister Édouard Geffroy, and US President Donald Trump linked the protests to mass migration. [ 5 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Kirill Dmitriev said the West may have already passed a “point of no return”. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- Dmitriev attributed this to systematic lies and the West’s inability to address the root causes of its problems. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- Dmitriev made the comment in a post on X about protests and clashes in France. [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]
Still unclear
- When the French school protests began. Kommersant says they started on 21 September at a lycée in a Paris suburb, while Vedomosti says they began in late September; the documents do not reconcile the two.
- How many people were injured in the French protests. Kommersant cites the education minister for nearly 200 injured schoolchildren, and in the same report gives 170 injured students and 78 injured education staff; the documents do not explain the difference.
- The exact wording of Dmitriev’s list of Western problems. Kommersant lists “fomenting wars”, while Vedomosti lists “militarism”; the other documents do not give the list.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Protests begin at the Saint-Exupéry lycée in a Paris suburb over school conditions, according to Kommersant. [ 3 ]
- President Emmanuel Macron convenes an emergency meeting with Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu and education minister Édouard Geffroy; US President Donald Trump links the protests to mass migration, Vedomosti reports. [ 5 ]
- RIA Novosti publishes Dmitriev’s remark that the West may have passed the point of no return. [ 1 ]
- TASS reports Dmitriev saying the West passed the point of no return because of systematic lies. [ 2 ]
- Kommersant publishes Dmitriev’s X post and details of the French protests. [ 3 ]
- RBC reports the comment, tying it to clashes between security forces and schoolchildren. [ 4 ]
- Vedomosti reports the comment and adds Macron’s 6 October emergency meeting and Trump’s remarks. [ 5 ]