France needs to mobilise to prepare for the probable scenario of energy shortages this autumn because Russia is using cuts in supplies to Europe as a weapon in its war with Ukraine, French president Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday, reports FRANCE 24.
President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday that France aims to manage without Russian gas as soon as possible with no early end to the war in Ukraine in sight.
Accusing Moscow of using energy deliveries to the West as "a weapon of war", Macron said in a TV interview marking the occasion of France's Bastille Day that France was already diversifying the sources of its energy supplies, and building stocks ahead of next winter.
"Russia has already started to cut off gas supplies" by closing the Nordstream 1 pipeline, he told the TF1 channel, referring to Russia's interruption of supplies which it said was for maintenance reasons.
"That's a very clear message: It will use gas as a weapon of war," he said.
"We will need do without Russian gas completely."
France is estimated to receive less than 20 percent of its total gas imports from Russia.