With scenes of the disaster circulating in newspapers, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that indications of “war crimes” in Ukraine justified new sanctions. The Elysium later confirmed that France would support an embargo on Russian oil and coal and that the proposals would be discussed at European level on Wednesday. The story goes on under the ad The whole debate raises uncomfortable questions about where the EU draws its red lines for Russian energy – if there are any at all. “If there is a red line, it probably has not been crossed for Germany,” said Marcel Dirsus, a German political scientist and non-resident of the Institute for Political Security at Kiel University. In the weeks following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the EU worked with the United States and other allies to crack down on Russia, but continues to buy Russian oil and gas. The story goes on under the ad When the United States and the United Kingdom cut imports, the EU argued that it could not afford to respond because the bloc depended much more on Russian energy. Europe imports about 40 percent of its gas and more than a quarter of its oil from Russia. the United States and Britain import much less. Instead of stopping markets immediately, the EU has pledged to wean itself off Russian imports, promising to cut gas imports by two-thirds this year as part of a phasing out of Russian fossil fuels. The Baltic states and some Eastern European countries have called on the EU to do more, and major EU economies, including Germany, Italy and France, have opposed such calls. The story goes on under the ad But the scenes from Bucha could be a turning point. Italy’s foreign minister said on Monday that the country would not veto sanctions on Russian gas. “It is very clear that there are indications of war crimes,” Macron said in an interview with France Inter radio. “I do not think we can let it go. What happened in Bucha dictates a new package of sanctions.” Macron said tougher sanctions were needed to prevent similar disasters in other parts of Ukraine. “We will coordinate with our European partners, especially Germany,” he said. “As far as coal and oil are concerned, we need to be able to move forward.” But Macron and an Elysee official did not mention Russian gas, suggesting that the embargo on it could still be considered controversial. The story goes on under the ad Macron, who is running for re-election, has called for tougher measures on Russia, although he has continued talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in recent weeks. In France, the debate over sanctions on energy imports from Russia comes less than a week before the first round of Sunday’s presidential election, which polls suggest could lead to a run-off between Macron and far-right leader Marin. Lepen. Both Macron and Lepen saw their polls improve after the war in Ukraine, with Macron taking advantage of his role on the international stage and Lepen presenting herself as more in tune with voters’ concerns about how the war would affect the purchasing power of the French. The story goes on under the ad Le Pen reiterated Macron’s comments on Bucha on Monday, calling the disaster a possible “war crime” but calling for more restraint in imposing sanctions on Russia. The far-right leader, who has long been seen as an ally of Putin, said last month that France “should choose sanctions that are not sanctions against the purchasing power of the French.” France is less dependent on Russian gas than neighboring Germany, but the ripple effects of the cut in imports from Russia could have a significant impact on Europe’s deeply intertwined economies. The revelations renewed pressure on German leaders, who have promised to respond seriously to Mount Athos, but are still debating how far they are willing to go. Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said on Sunday that the EU should discuss cutting off gas supplies from Russia. The youth wings of the Social Democratic Party and the Free Democratic Party – two parties in Germany’s tripartite coalition government – have pushed for a halt to Russian fossil fuel supplies. The story goes on under the ad However, on Monday, a representative of the Ministry of Economy and Climate reiterated that the immediate embargo was not realistic. “Unfortunately, Germany is heavily dependent on Russian imports, and this has not decreased in the last 10 years, but has probably increased,” Beate Baron told reporters. As calls for Germany to cut off Russian energy supplies are mounting, Monday also strongly reminded the government of competitive pressure. Christian Sewing, CEO of Deutsche Bank and president of the German Banking Association or BdB, said the halt in oil and gas imports would make a recession “almost inevitable”. However, Germany made the move on Monday to take control of a subsidiary of Russian energy company Gazprom, three days after the St. Petersburg-based company said it was leaving Germany. In addition to announcing this move, the Minister of Economy and Climate, Robert Habek, of the Green Party, said the new sanctions could target people around Putin as well as Russian financial institutions. He also said that Germany should expand its arms supplies to Ukraine – a remarkable position for a leader of the Green Party given its pacifist roots. The story goes on under the ad The government has refused to comment on the Polish prime minister’s claims that Germany is the main obstacle to tougher sanctions. “There is widespread anger in Germany and German politicians will be forced to do something, but they do not want to do something that will hurt Germany,” Dirsus said. “There are no good choices. Huge sanctions would hurt Germany. “But do nothing and you are complicit.” Austrian Finance Minister Magnus Bruner also poured cold water on proposals for a general review of sanctions in response to Bucha’s scenes, saying it was important to “keep calm”. Sanctions, he said, “should not affect us more than Russia.” The story goes on under the ad “That is why, together with Germany, we are very hesitant about the gas embargo,” he told reporters as he arrived in Luxembourg for a meeting of EU finance ministers. A statement from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen released on Monday following a telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the EU had set up a joint investigation team with Ukraine to gather evidence and investigate war crimes and crimes against humanity. of humanity – but did not mention sanctions. Noack reported from Paris, Stanley-Becker from Berlin.
