Nicolas Sarkozy, his praise for Putin, and a trail of Kremlin money

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Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy received 300,000 euros during a period in which he attended a 2018 gathering in Moscow that was organised by the Russian state's main sovereign wealth fund, and at which he praised his “friend” Vladimir Putin. The money was paid by a company which bears the same name as a subsidiary of that sovereign fund. Fabrice Arfi and Yann Philippin report.

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On November 22nd 2018 the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), the state's main sovereign wealth fund, held its traditional “pre-New Year” soirée as usual in Moscow. That year the RDIF's boss, Kirill Dmitriev, had invited a noteworthy figure to address the hand-picked guests: Nicolas Sarkozy.

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