SUMMARY

On Bloomberg, Philippe Etienne emphasized the “fighting spirit of the Ukrainian army and people” against the Russian invasion. The Ambassador also mentioned the French support to Ukraine and the French commitment to “mitigate the effects” of the war in Europe and worldwide, with a special attention to the looming food security crisis. Philippe Etienne added that French efforts include communication between President Macron and Vladimir Putin on nuclear safety in Zaporizhzhia. He also referred to the “close coordination” between the EU and the US on sanctions and food security issues, which will be discussed “very seriously” at the 2022 UNGA. When asked about conditions for potential peace talks between Ukraine, Russia and European countries, the Ambassador told Bloomberg that it was up to the Ukrainians to decide. Philippe Etienne stressed the efforts made by the EU on the issues of energy shortages and rising prices. He described how the Union planned to overcome this problem, by diversifying its gas suppliers, the development of energy infrastructures, an accelerated transition to renewables, the use of nuclear energy, combined with an overall reduction of energy consumption. He finally pointed out the “strong measures” taken by France and Europe “shield” the population, maintain sufficient energy storage and keep it affordable.