French minister:

EU to reach agreement on Russian oil embargo by end of week

TEHRAN (Defapress) - The agreement on the Russian oil embargo in the European Union (EU) may be reached by the end of this week, France's Ecological Transition Minister Barbara Pompili said on Thursday.

News ID: 84121

Date: 07 May 2022 - 02:00

"This is normal that discussions are underway as some EU countries depend on Russian oil more than others, which is why it is necessary to reach an agreement that would allow taking this measure, and it is the subject of discussions that are currently taking place in Brussels," she said. "I think we will reach [an agreement] by the end of the week," the minister told the France Info radio station, according to TASS.

"This is normal that discussions are underway as some EU countries depend on Russian oil more than others, which is why it is necessary to reach an agreement that would allow taking this measure, and it is the subject of discussions that are currently taking place in Brussels," she said. "I think we will reach [an agreement] by the end of the week," the minister added.

It is easier for the European Union to abandon crude oil, she admitted, noting that the decision on diesel "will take some additional time."

The EU should reduce its dependence on energy supplies and develop renewable sources of energy, Pompili emphasized.

Since the start of the Ukraine war on February 24, the United States and its allies responded to Russia’s actions by slapping massive sanctions and speeding up arms supplies to Kyiv.