France may impose new sanctions on Russia if it refuses to agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine. On Tuesday (13 May), French President Emmanuel Macron stated that the sanctions could target Russia’s financial services, oil, and gas sectors. This report was published by British news agency Reuters.
In an interview with French media outlet TF1, Macron said, “If Russia rejects a ceasefire, we are considering imposing sanctions in the coming days. We are coordinating all measures keeping that possibility in mind.”
Before Macron’s statement, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz issued a similar warning. He said that if Moscow opposed a ceasefire, European allies would impose sweeping sanctions on Russia, particularly targeting its energy and financial sectors.
On Monday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced that the European Commission had been instructed to draft new sanctions focusing on the aforementioned sectors.
Leaders from the UK, France, Germany, and Poland jointly warned on Saturday that if Russia does not agree to a 30-day ceasefire soon, new punitive measures would be implemented.
However, Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared unfazed by these threats. Instead, he proposed direct negotiations with Kyiv in Istanbul on 15 May—a move supported by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Analysts believe Trump’s stance has weakened European efforts to present a united front.
Since the beginning of its invasion of Ukraine, Russia has already been subjected to 16 rounds of sanctions by the European Union. According to diplomats, it is becoming increasingly difficult to pass major new sanctions without unanimous consent from all 27 EU member states.
