EU wants to isolate Russia financially: French Economy and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire
European national leaders agreed further sanctions on Russia to match those from Britain, the United States and other countries, Le Maire said Moscow was “an economic partner of secondary importance” for France.
FollowThe European Union wants to isolate Russia financially and cut all links between Russia and the global financial system, French Economy and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said alongside his German counterpart Christian Lindner at a European Union finance ministers’ meeting.
The EU “wants to cut all the links between Russia and the global financial system,” Bruno Le Maire said at the start of a meeting of European finance ministers. “We want to isolate Russia financially... We want to dry up the financing,” he added.
The bloc agreed new sanctions against Moscow over its attack on Ukraine. Speaking hours after European national leaders agreed further sanctions on Russia to match those from Britain, the United States and other countries, Le Maire said Moscow was “an economic partner of secondary importance” for France.
Speaking alongside Le Maire, his German counterpart Christian Lindner spelled out that “in one-off cases payments (to Russia) remain possible, for example to pay for gas deliveries”.
However, the EU bloc held back from taking the harshest measures sought by Ukraine and split over just how far to take the sanctions, leaving details to be worked out in the coming days.
Several targets around Ukraine - particularly military infrastructure - have been bombed, as Russian forces began closing in on the capital city of Kyiv on Friday after President Vladimir Putin announced a Russian invasion of Ukraine at dawn on Thursday after weeks of tensions.
Missiles pounded the Ukrainian capital on Friday as Russian forces pressed their advance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy pleaded with the international community to do more, saying sanctions announced so far were not enough, Reuters reported.
