In addition to the ban on imports of coal from Russia that has already been imposed, President Emmanuel Macron’s government has always demanded this for oil as well, Le Maire told Europe 1 on Tuesday. for several years, but oil.
Without the hesitant attitude of some countries, the oil embargo would have been in place for a long time, Le Maire said, without naming the countries involved. “We still have to convince our European partners.”
Conflict over gas and oil
Because of the Russian attack on Ukraine, the EU has now decided to stop imports of Russian coal and imposed unprecedented new sanctions. There is also constant discussion about an immediate exit from Russian gas or oil. Germany, Austria and other countries have so far shied away from this for fear of economic damage.
The chemical industry, for example, had pointed to the large consumption of oil and gas and warned of serious consequences for the country’s value chains if there were prolonged failures in the plants. About 95% of all industrial products require chemicals.