Editorial

The Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and its French counterpart Sebastien Lecornu they would have had a telephone conversation from which the possibility of holding talks on the conflict in Ukraine would emerge. The Russian ministry reported this to the Tass agency: “Availability for dialogue on Ukraine was noted. Starting points could be based onIstanbul Peace Initiative. Regarding previous statements from the Elysée about sending French soldiers to Ukraine, Shoigu stressed that the implementation of these plans will cause problems for France itself”.

Net of the versions interpreted between the parties, the phone call would give an unclear image of France which in doing so would be acting alone on an international issue involving the UN, NATO and the EU.

It is no coincidence that France, according to an anonymous source approached by the AFP agency, denied having expressed a "readiness for dialogue" with Moscow on the war in Ukraine during the phone call between the French and Russian defense ministers. The Russian minister stated in the phone call that “be ready to resume dialogue on Ukraine”, but "France has neither accepted nor proposed anything” on this issue, Lecornu's close collaborators underlined, contradicting Moscow's claims that the two ministers had shown a "availability for dialogue” about the war.
Paris would instead assure Moscow of France's availability for more intense exchanges with the aim of fighting terrorism more effectively, according to a statement from the French ministry. Regarding the attack on March 22nd in Moscow, claimed by ISIS, Lecornu confirmed that “France does not have any information that would allow it to establish a link between this attack and Ukraine“, inviting Moscow to stop speculating on the tragedy.

The main points of the 2022 Istanbul Peace Initiative

• Kiev has reportedly given up seeking NATO membership but could potentially join the European Union.
• Moscow has reportedly renounced demands for the "demilitarization" and "denazification" of Ukraine.
• A dozen countries, including Italy, are said to have pledged to guarantee Kiev's security, that is, to defend it in the event of new attacks.

Lecornu – Shoigu talk about peace in Ukraine on the phone. The French denial was immediate