Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin cancelled his planned trip to Paris after President Francois Hollande questioned the usefulness of a meeting with the Russian leader, citing the situation in Aleppo. However, according to Expert magazine contributor Igor Gashkov, Russia's the one with the grievance – and the reason is simple.
Hollande's demarche consisted of refusing to attend the opening of a church and Russian cultural center in the French capital, which President Putin was set to attend. According to Igor Gashkov, Elysee Palace effectively intended to turn the visit into a demonstration – a sign "that Paris does not feel solidarity with Moscow on any issue," not even culture.
Putin responded coolly but firmly, cancelling the visit, citing a 'scheduling conflict', but also emphasizing that he remained open to meeting with Hollande in the future at the latter's convenience.
In recent weeks, France unexpectedly stepped up to become a central critic of Moscow over Syria, citing the renewal of hostilities between the Syrian military and Western-sponsored militants, following the collapse of the Russian-US sponsored ceasefire of September 9.