France has called the deaths of civilians in Bucha, Ukraine, “a new step in horror” and has vowed to ensure such an act “does not remain unpunished.”
France is also in favor of a tougher sanctions regime against Russia, French government spokesperson Gabriel Attal said during a news conference on Wednesday.
“After these massacres, we must go further,” he said. “President [Macron] has told President Zelensky that we have no taboos in terms of sanctions, and he repeated that we are ready for drastic measures on imports of Russian coal and oil.”
Asked by a journalist why France wasn’t blocking natural gas imports from Russia, Attal said that sanctions were “being discussed and worked on at the European level,” and added that it is easier for “us French who only depend on it for 20% [of energy needs] than for other countries who depend on it for 50, 60 or even 100% of theirs.”
France “has always said that we are in favor of taking sanctions to the maximum level possible, and dialogue continues at the European level,” he said.
