France is in “negotiations” with the UAE to find an alternative to Russian oil, which is subject to a European embargo, French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire said Sunday.
In a statement to Radio Europe 1 and CNews, Le Maire confirmed that “negotiations with the UAE are already underway,” explaining that Paris is looking for “an alternative to importing gas or diesel fuel from Russia.”
On Friday, the European Union formally approved a sixth round of sanctions against Russia to dry up the sources of funding for its war against Ukraine, and the gradual ban will affect two-thirds of European purchases after Germany and Poland decided to independently cut off supplies through the Drogba line by the end of the year, and imports suffer, according to Europeans, Russians by more than 90 percent.
In this context, Le Maire said that Abu Dhabi could become “at least a temporary alternative to Russian oil and diesel.”
And earlier on Sunday, EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton confirmed that Russian gas would also have to be phased out, citing a desired increase in LNG imports from the US and Qatar.
The war led to higher energy and food prices, which seriously affected France’s growth prospects.
