Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova at a press briefing February 12 took note that “in recent months President Emmanuel Macron has repeatedly expressed in the media his desire to resume high-level Russian–French dialogue and to hold a telephone conversation with President Vladimir Putin. However, as has often been the case with our French colleagues, these statements have so far not been followed by practical steps.”
She emphasized, “For our part, we have never rejected high-level contacts with Paris. It is worth recalling that the suspension of dialogue was not our choice, but a decision made by the French leadership.”
