Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend a planned visit to Paris, a French presidency source said Tuesday amid a diplomatic rift over the Kremlin's actions in Syria.
Putin was due in Paris on October 19 to inaugurate a new Orthodox church near the Eiffel Tower in a visit that is fast turning into a headache for France.
"There were contacts between the Kremlin and the Elysee this morning to offer to Putin a working visit on Syria, but excluding all other events that President Hollande could have taken part in," a French presidency source told Reuters. "In response to this proposal, Russia has just indicated that it wants to postpone the visit planned on Oct. 19."
On Sunday, Hollande had left open the question of whether he would receive Putin, describing the scorched-earth campaign in the Syrian city of Aleppo as a war crime.
"I asked myself the question... Is it useful? Is it necessary? Can it be a way of exerting pressure? Can we get him to stop what he is doing with the Syrian regime?" Hollande told the TMC channel.
The Kremlin however said preparations for Putin's visit were continuing.
"There are plans for talks with the Elysee Palace (seat of the French presidency) and Putin will take part in the inauguration of the Russian spiritual center," his spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
Paris had not informed Moscow of any changes to their plans, he added.
i24news.tv/AFP
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Putin was due in Paris on October 19 to inaugurate a new Orthodox church near the Eiffel Tower in a visit that is fast turning into a headache for France.
"There were contacts between the Kremlin and the Elysee this morning to offer to Putin a working visit on Syria, but excluding all other events that President Hollande could have taken part in," a French presidency source told Reuters. "In response to this proposal, Russia has just indicated that it wants to postpone the visit planned on Oct. 19."
On Sunday, Hollande had left open the question of whether he would receive Putin, describing the scorched-earth campaign in the Syrian city of Aleppo as a war crime.
"I asked myself the question... Is it useful? Is it necessary? Can it be a way of exerting pressure? Can we get him to stop what he is doing with the Syrian regime?" Hollande told the TMC channel.
The Kremlin however said preparations for Putin's visit were continuing.
"There are plans for talks with the Elysee Palace (seat of the French presidency) and Putin will take part in the inauguration of the Russian spiritual center," his spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
Paris had not informed Moscow of any changes to their plans, he added.
i24news.tv/AFP
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