Macron called Russian comments from a telephone conversation between defense ministers “strange and threatening”

President Emmanuel Macron called France “strange and threatening” Russia's tone after a rare telephone conversation between the defense ministers of the two countries – their first contact since 2022.

French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu contacted his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu on Wednesday and said Paris was ready to step up exchanges to fight “terrorism,” the French military department said, reports AFP news agency.

Russia, in turn, told France that it hopes that French intelligence services are not involved in the recent attack on a concert hall in the Moscow region, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported.

Responsibility for the attack extremists of the “Islamic State” took over.

"The comments from the Russian side were strange and threatening", – Macron told reporters, adding that any suggestion of French involvement in the deadly attack is “ridiculous.”

Macron said France was in contact with Russia because Paris had “useful information” about the origin and organization of the attack, which killed at least 144 people.

"It is ridiculous to say that France is behind this, that the Ukrainians are behind this. This is nonsense. This is not true, this is a manipulation of information that is part of the Russian arsenal of war.”– said Macron.

Prepared by: Sergei Daga