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French President Emmanuel Macron has warned his country to prepare for a total cut-off of Russian natural gas and stressed the need for France to invest in its military as Russia persists with its invasion of Ukraine.
Key points:
- Emmanuel Macron accused Russia of using energy as a "weapon of war"
- He warned his country to brace for energy costs to remain high
- The President also said France would have to step up its defence spending
Speaking as France marked Bastille Day with national celebrations and a military parade on the Champs-Élysées in Paris, Mr Macron said the government was preparing a "sobriety plan" to conserve energy, which would start with switching off public lights at night when possible.
Sanctions imposed on Russia have driven up the price of energy and other goods around the world.
Mr Macron said that with no end in sight for the Ukraine war, the French should brace themselves for costs to remain high.
"I believe we must be prepared for this [conflict] to last," he said.
"The summer, the start of the autumn will probably be hard, very hard.
"We should prepare ourselves for the scenario where we have to go without all Russian gas."
The President has called for a faster shift toward offshore wind farms and for more European cross-border energy cooperation as France looks to keep diversifying its gas sources.
Mr Macron's political opponents have blamed European Union sanctions for reducing the purchasing power of French consumers while failing to persuade Russian President Vladimir Putin to pull troops out of Ukraine.
The President, who visited Ukraine in June, did not indicate a policy shift towards the country.
"What do you want us to do?" he asked.
"We want to stop this war without getting involved in this war.
"At the same time, we want to do everything so that Russia doesn't win, so that Ukraine can defend its territory.
"We don't want a world war."
Macron calls for French arms build-up
Mr Macron said France needed to keep on investing in its defence forces in view of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
"The defence budget will not decline," he said.
"On the contrary… we must reinvest in our stocks … we must be able to produce more munitions and faster.
"This war will last but France will always be in a position to help Ukraine."
AP/Reuters