OREANDA-NEWS The introduction of an embargo on Russian gas is not being discussed, French President Emmanuel Macron said in an interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. According to the politician, at the moment they are talking only about blocking oil and fuel.

«This topic may be on the negotiating table, but it is not being discussed today. Oil and fuel are already affected, but gas is not yet. We know the difficulties that this will entail», Macron said. He also stressed the importance of European energy sovereignty and recalled that he had raised this topic back in 2017.

Earlier it became known that the EU countries agreed to impose an embargo on coal imports from Russia. A similar decision regarding oil should be expected in the near future, said Clement Beaune, Secretary of State at the French Foreign Ministry. He also admitted that over time it is possible to introduce a ban on gas imports from Russia.

At the same time, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said that Paris expects to convince partners in Europe to impose an embargo on Russian oil. According to him, this measure is one of the main means of blocking foreign currency receipts to Russia and, consequently, the termination of the military operation in Ukraine.

Austria has already found a replacement for Russian oil and stopped importing and refining it. At the same time, Russia accounted for no more than 8% of the total oil imports into the country.