In a rare phone call between the defense ministers of Russia and France, Sergei Shoigu cautioned his French counterpart, Sébastien Lecornu, against the deployment of troops to Ukraine. The call, which took place on Wednesday, marked the first contact between Russian and French defense ministers since October 2022.

According to a statement from the Russian Defense Ministry, Shoigu emphasized that if France follows through with its statements about the possibility of sending a military contingent to Ukraine, it could create problems for France itself, although the statement did not elaborate on the specifics.

The conversation follows French President Emmanuel Macron's earlier comments in February, where he stated that the possibility of Western troops being sent to Ukraine could not be ruled out. In response, Shoigu highlighted Moscow's readiness for dialogue on Ukraine and emphasized that Russia's involvement is crucial for any meaningful peace talks, including the upcoming round in Geneva.

Shoigu further mentioned that future negotiations could be based on a draft document discussed during Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul in March 2022. Media reports suggest that the draft included provisions for Ukraine abandoning its bid to join NATO and remaining neutral. However, no final deal was reached, and the talks collapsed shortly after.

During the phone call, Lecornu offered condolences to Russia over the deadly attack on a suburban Moscow concert hall on March 22, which claimed the lives of 145 people. The Russian Defense Ministry stated that Lecornu tried to convince Shoigu that Ukraine and its Western allies had no involvement in the attack. However, Shoigu insisted that Moscow has information suggesting a Ukrainian connection in organizing the terror attack.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his officials have been linking Ukraine and the West to the attack, despite strong denials from Kyiv, a claim of responsibility by an affiliate of the Islamic State group, and an advance warning issued by the United States to Moscow about the impending attack.

The Russian Defense Ministry's readout of the call emphasized Shoigu's suspicion that the Ukrainian government acts with the approval of its Western allies, stating, "The Kyiv regime does nothing without approval of its Western handlers. We hope that the French special services weren't involved in it."

With tensions escalating and the situation in Ukraine remaining precarious, it remains to be seen how the international community and key stakeholders will navigate efforts towards de-escalation and a peaceful resolution of the conflict.