Invited by Europe 1 in the morning, the economy minister emphasized the importance of this measure in order to dry up Moscow’s sources of income.
“We always said with Emmanuel Macron that we want an embargo on coal, it’s done, and one on Russian oil.” As Russia ramps up operations on Ukraine’s eastern front, Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire reiterated the importance of Dry up Moscow’s revenue streams. “What has been the primary source of foreign exchange for Vladimir Putin’s power for several years is not gas, but oil,” he said.
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A measure that without hesitation on the part of some countries would already be in force. “We’re trying to convince our European partners,” because “if we’re not there (…), it’s because some European partners are still hesitating,” stressed the Economics Minister, without naming names.
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However, he said he was “convinced that the reality of the situation in Ukraine will push the boundaries”. In fact, the Russians are putting more pressure than ever on Ukraine’s eastern front. Yesterday Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the start of the offensive, in particular to take control of Donbass. Now we can say that the Russian troops have started the battle for Donbass, for which they have been preparing for a long time. A very large part of the entire Russian army is now devoted to this offensive, he said in a speech broadcast on Telegram. No matter how many Russian soldiers are brought here, we will fight. We will defend ourselves, he claimed, after warning the day before that they want to literally complete and destroy Donbass.