France practically takes for granted that Russia will completely cut off gas supplies to Europe

Follow live the latest news about the war in Ukraine

July 10 () –

The French Minister of Economy and Finance, Bruno Le Maire, has estimated that the total cut of Russian gas to Europe is “the most likely option”, in comments made this Sunday where he echoed practically identical valuations made the day before. by the country’s prime minister, Élisabeth Borne.

“I believe that the total interruption of gas supplies from Russia is a real possibility and we must prepare for this option,” Le Maire told the economic meeting forum in Aix-en-Provence.

“The best way to prepare for these cuts is to be very attentive to our energy consumption. That goes for administrations, that goes for companies, that goes for individuals,” he added in statements collected by ‘Le Monde’.

These comments take place less than 24 hours before the closure, this coming Monday, of the most important connection of Russian natural gas to Germany, the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline, for annual maintenance work scheduled for ten days.

Germany fears that this cut is a pretext that will lead to the indefinite suspension of gas pipeline operations, as Economy Minister Robert Habeck warned last week, in retaliation from Moscow for the sanctions received for the invasion of Ukraine.

It should be remembered that the Russian state company Gazprom already considerably reduced in June the volume of supply through the gas pipeline, which is more than 1,200 kilometers long, which runs from Russia to Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

According to the German Federal Network Agency, the pipeline is currently only used at 40 percent of its capacity.

France, like many other European countries, remains heavily dependent on Russia for its natural gas and oil supplies, although to a lesser extent than some of its neighbors. In 2020, the country imported 17% of its gas and 13% of its oil and derivatives from Russia, according to the European Commission.