The French president deemed neither “possible” nor “contractual” the requirement of Russian President Vladimir Putin to charge in rubles, and no longer in dollars or euros, for gas deliveries to the European Union.
Emmanuel Macron ruled on Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s demand to charge in rubles, and no longer in dollars or euros, for gas deliveries to the European Union, was neither “possible” nor “contractual”. “.
This request “does not comply with what has been signed, I do not see why we would apply it”, declared the French president, questioned after the European summit in Brussels, on this announcement made Wednesday by Moscow .
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On this question, “we continue the work of analysis”, he specified. But “all the texts signed are clear: it is prohibited. So European players who buy gas and who are on European soil must do so in euros”.
“It is therefore not possible today to do what is requested, and it is not contractual”, insisted Emmanuel Macron.
He felt that Moscow was seeking, with this requirement, “a circumvention mechanism” of the economic and financial sanctions decided by the Europeans following the invasion of Ukraine.
Germany is particularly dependent on Russian gas
Very concerned, Germany had denounced Wednesday a “breach of contract” on the part of Vladimir Putin, who gave a week to the Russian authorities to develop the new system in rubles.
Germany is particularly dependent on Russian gas, which accounts for some 55% of its imports.
And despite the invasion of Ukraine, Russian gas continues to flow to the EU, which refuses to impose an embargo, as in the United States and the United Kingdom. European countries have nevertheless committed themselves to rapidly reducing their dependence.
“We are a very big buyer for Russian gas and what is experienced as a vulnerability for us is also for Russia, which cannot change the structure of its pipelines overnight,” noted the head of the French state.