MATOURY: French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday said France has information that Islamic State (IS) carried out Friday’s attack in a Moscow concert hall, warning Russia against exploiting the attack by blaming it on Ukraine.
Speaking to reporters during a visit to French Guiana, Macron revealed that France has information suggesting that an IS-affiliated group planned and executed the attack in Moscow, which resulted in the deaths of 137 persons. He also noted that this particular group had previously attempted attacks on French soil.
However, Macron cautioned against any attempts by Russia to exploit the situation for political gain, stating that such actions would be cynical and counterproductive. Moscow has refrained from commenting on IS’s claim of responsibility, with Russian security services and President Vladimir Putin implying possible links to Ukraine, Russia’s adversary.
Macron emphasized that France has offered increased cooperation to Russian security services in the aftermath of the attack, though direct talks with Putin are not currently planned. Instead, discussions are expected to occur on a technical and ministerial level.
The French leader has not engaged in direct conversation with Putin since 2022, when he attempted to dissuade the Russian president from his invasion of Ukraine through a series of phone calls. Macron indicated that the possibility of a personal conversation with Putin would depend on how the situation evolves in the coming days or weeks.
