“They did well to do it”, answers Xavier Bertrand

TotalEnergies renounces Russian oil by the end of 2022 and “they did well to do so” estimated this Wednesday morning on franceinfo, Xavier Bertrand, special adviser to Valérie Pécresse for “The Republic of Territories and Work” and LR president of the Hauts-de-France region.

The hydrocarbon giant explains that it is not, however, ending its purchases of Russian gas because there is no embargo. For Xavier Bertrand, it is on a European scale that he “we had to go further, this is part of the additional sanctions that Europe can take”.

Valérie Pécresse’s special adviser believes that he “we need a unified European view, that everyone has this will, the Germans too”more dependent than France on Russian gas. “The clear question is: do we value our independence or do we continue to put all our eggs in one basket in terms of energy?”wonders Xavier Bertrand.

LIVE – Total will do without Russian oil ➡️ “They did well to do it”, says Xavier Bertrand, president LR of Hauts-de-France, special adviser to Valérie Pécresse. “It is obvious that energy independence is needed. “It’s the question of LNG and nuclear”. pic.twitter.com/3MvkKMaipM

— franceinfo (@franceinfo) March 23, 2022

President LR Hauts-de-France also understands that certain companies in his region do not cease their activities in Russia, like Decathlon, Auchan or Leroy-Merlin. “They say: we close, immediately it will be nationalized and taken over by Putin or his relatives.launches Xavier Bertrand. The fact that there is this activity is not what enriches the oligarchs or Vladimir Putin.”