France supports a ban on Russian oil imports, said French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire.

When you see what is happening in the Donbas, it is more than ever necessary to stop importing Russian oil, Le Maire told Europa 1 radio station.

According to him, it was oil, not gas, that was the first source of currency for the Putin regime for several years, and therefore stopping Russian oil imports means damaging the financing of the war in Ukraine for those who are in power in Russia.

France has been trying to convince European partners to stop importing Russian oil, Le Maire added, arguing that some countries are hesitant to do so.

The reason we haven't done it yet is not because France doesn't want it, Le Maire said.

That's because some European partners are still hesitant, he added.