PARIS (Reuters) – France hopes to convince “in the coming weeks” European countries still reluctant to accept an embargo on Russian oil because of the war in Ukraine, Bruno Le Maire said on Tuesday.
“When you see what is happening in the Donbass, more than ever, it is necessary to stop oil imports from Russia”, said the French Minister of Economy on Europe 1, in reference to the offensive triggered, according to Kyiv, in eastern Ukraine.
“Of course that’s what we’re up to,” he continued.
“I am convinced (…) that the reality of the situation in Ukraine will move the lines. If we are attached like us to the freedom of the Ukrainian people and the protection of the Ukrainian people (…) we must go to the end of his reasoning and not finance Vladimir Putin’s war with foreign currency for the purchase of Russian oil”, said Bruno Le Maire, while refusing to designate the countries of the European Union still blocking an agreement on this question. , while Germany is regularly singled out for its dependence on hydrocarbons from Russia.
“We know very well that if today we are not there (…) it is because some European partners still have hesitations (…) I hope that in the weeks to come we will manage to convince our European partners that we must stop importing oil from Russia.”
(Written by Bertrand Boucey, edited by Nicolas Delame)
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