French, Italian Foreign Ministers Discuss Tightening Sanctions Against Russia - Paris

French, Italian Foreign Ministers Discuss Tightening Sanctions Against Russia - Paris

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian held a telephone conversation with his Italian counterpart, Luigi Di Maio, on increasing pressure on Moscow, with a particular emphasis put on sanctioning the energy sector, a representative of French foreign ministry said on Wednesday

PARIS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 27th April, 2022) French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian held a telephone conversation with his Italian counterpart, Luigi Di Maio, on increasing pressure on Moscow, with a particular emphasis put on sanctioning the energy sector, a representative of French foreign ministry said on Wednesday.

"The ministers discussed the ongoing close French-Italian coordination in support of Ukraine ... They discussed options for tightening sanctions against Russia, particularly in the energy sector," the representative told a briefing.

According to the statement, the phone conversation took place on Tuesday evening and other topics discussed by the ministers included the situation in Libya and Mali.

On February 24, Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine after the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk appealed for help in defending themselves against Ukrainian forces. In response, Ukraine's allies, including the European Union, rolled out a comprehensive sanctions campaign against Moscow, which includes airspace closures and restrictive measures targeting numerous Russian officials and entities, media and financial institutions.