Macron calls out US for double standards on gas prices to EU

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen English + Agencies
21 Oct 2022 23:24
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The French President slams the US for practicing double standards as it offers EU gas prices 3 to 4 times higher than the prices in the American domestic market.

French President Emmanuel Macron with US President Joe Biden

During a press conference following the EU summit in Brussels, French President Emanual Macron called out US "double standards" for selling gas to Europe at prices 3 to 4 times higher than it is sold in the US domestic markets.

"American gas is 3-4 times cheaper on the domestic market than the price at which they offer it to Europeans. These are double standards," Macron stated, adding that "it concerns sincerity in transatlantic trade" and that this issue should be addressed.

Check this: The cost of the energy crisis in Europe

"I intend to raise this issue during my visit to the United States in December," the French President said.

Macron's statement comes following a statement made today by the French Foreign Minister Catherina Colonna during her visit to Washington, where she called for maintaining communication channels with Russia, which indicates that France might be seeking a more balanced political position in the global arena.

"We absolutely think it is crucial to keep a channel of communication with those making the decisions in Russia, including President Putin," the French Foreign Minister said at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

Earlier this month, Germany announced that as winter approaches, it may have to temporarily curtail its electricity exports, including to France.

Hendrik Neumann, chief technical officer of Germany's main grid operator Amprion, said this could be Germany's "last resort".

Significantly, the head grid operator explained that the energy crisis Germany and the rest of the EU are facing is not entirely resulting from the war in Ukraine but rather comes as "overlapping issues" become more prominent. The war and the anti-Russian sanctions have definitely had a partial impact on the energy sectors in the EU, however, the most important factor in the crisis is the lack of nuclear power plants.