French Foreign Minister dismisses further talks with Russia, citing misleading statements after defense chiefs' call
French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné has stated that he is no longer interested in "discussions with Russian officials" following recent contacts between the defense chiefs of France and Russia, according to France 24.
"Today, it is not in our interest to discuss with Russian officials, as the press releases they issue are false," the minister declared.
On April 3, French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu had a phone call with his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoygu, marking the first dialogue between the heads of the two ministries since October 2022.
Following the conversation's conclusion, Russia reported that Paris was allegedly open to a dialogue with Moscow regarding Ukraine or to discussions on potential peace negotiations. The French side unofficially denied this statement.
At the same time, commenting on the attack at the Crocus City Hall in the Moscow region, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu stated that Ukraine "does nothing without the approval of its Western patrons," adding, however, "We hope that the French special services are not involved in this."
In response, French President Emmanuel Macron described such comments from the Russian side as "really strange and threatening, which is nothing new."
On April 4, Politico reported that the "contradictory outcomes" of the brief phone call between Shoygu and Lecornu had become a "diplomatic headache" for France.