New Delhi, Dec. 26 -- The Kremlin on Thursday said it was in contact with the French authorities over the fate of a French political scholar serving a three-year sentence in Russia and reportedly facing new charges of espionage.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Russia has made "an offer to the French" regarding Laurent Vinatier, arrested in Moscow last year and convicted of collecting military information, and that "the ball is now in France's court." He refused to provide details, citing the sensitivity of the matter.

French President Emmanuel Macron is following Vinatier's situation closely, his office said in a statement. French Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pascal Confavreux said Thursday that all government servi...