PARIS, October 4. /TASS/. The European Union’s sanctions have failed to affect Russia but they are punishing the French people, head of the National Rally faction in France’s National Assembly (the lower house of parliament) Marine Le Pen told BFMTV on Tuesday.
"The sanctions aren’t working, moreover, they are counterproductive. The reality is that the sanctions have made Russia’s oil export revenues rise by 40 billion euros," she noted.
"As a matter of fact, these sanctions are punishing the French people who are in for a difficult winter this year and perhaps even more difficult one in 2023," Le Pen stressed. According to her, "the responsibility lies with those who made those decisions."
On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a special military operation based on a request from the heads of the Donbass republics. In response, the West imposed major sanctions on Russia. In addition, Western countries started to provide weapons and military equipment to Kiev, whose total value is currently estimated at billions of dollars.
According to France’s National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE), consumer prices rose by 5.6% in the country last month. Galloping inflation resulted in a series of strikes and protests in late September.