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The National Rally MEP also recalls that his party has always been opposed to energy sanctions on Russia.
“I think that Russia seeks to exploit the tool of popular expression par excellence which is the referendum in territories where it has committed absolutely unacceptable attacks to legitimize the violation of the territorial sovereignty of Ukraine”, declares Wednesday September 21 on franceinfo Jordan Bardella. The interim president of the RN reacted after the announcements made on Wednesday by Russia to annex the territories it controls in Ukraine and to organize referendums in the coming days.
Asked about the case of Crimea – annexed in 2014 by Russia which then also organized a referendum – Jordan Bardella believes that “it has nothing to do.” “The referendum in Crimea did not take place during a time of war and war crimes. I don’t mind history being remade, but Crimea was ceded to Ukraine for about half a century. Crimea is historically Russian. We are not in the same context”, he says, citing examples. “There were no maternity hospitals that were bombed, there were no civilians killed in the conditions in which it is taking place today. So I think these referendums would be perfectly illegitimate”, continues the MEP and interim president of the RN.
The candidate for the presidency of the RN and interim president also explains that the RN has “always been opposed to energy sanctions” and “time is proving us right since the energy sanctions that have been decided by the EU against Russia are strengthening Russia.” For Jordan Bardella, the fact that Russia is closing the gas taps on its own and that there is an oil embargo planned for the beginning of December “has an anticipatory effect”.
He then denounces “the hypocrisy of the EU” which is to say, according to him: “We are going to sanction Putin’s regime by stopping buying oil from him but finally buying that oil from him via India or Saudi Arabia.” To support his point, he adds: “Russia – compared to 2021 – has increased its hydrocarbons – in terms of the income it derives from them – by 41%. Its trade surpluses have doubled, so inflation is increasing in France and in the countries of the ‘EU while ‘Russia is drowning in cash’, this expression is not mine but François Lenglet, a renowned economist.”
“On the other hand, there are sanctions that work, such as those on semiconductors, banking sanctions or on Russian oligarchs that we do not contest,” he acknowledges.