President Emmanuel Macron today condemned Russia’s “threatening” tone following rare phone talks between the French and Russian defence ministers that only served to underline the gaping gulf between Moscow and Europe two years into the invasion of Ukraine.
Analysts said the contact in the aftermath of the deadly Moscow attack claimed by Islamic State would not herald any change in strategy from either Russia or France under Macron, who has not ruled out sending ground troops to Ukraine.
French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu told Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, a long time confidant of President Vladimir Putin, that France was ready to step up exchanges to battle “terrorism”, according to the French defence ministry.
The one-hour phone call took place as France is pulling out all the stops to host the Olympic Games in Paris this summer.
Russia for its part warned France it hoped that the French secret services had not been involved in the recent attack on a concert hall in Moscow claimed by Islamic State group extremists, according to a readout from the Russian defence ministry.