MOSCOW. April 4 (Interfax) - Wednesday's phone conversation between Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and his French counterpart Sebastien Lecornu took place at an insistent request from Paris, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.
"A telephone conversation was held between Defense Minister of the Russian Federation Gen. of the Army Sergei Shoigu and Defense Minister of the French Republic Sebastien Lecornu on April 3 at the insistent request of the French side," the statement said.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported the previous phone call between Shoigu and Lecornu in October 2022.