France has increased purchases of Russian gas more than other European countries in the first three months of 2024. This is reported by Politico.

"France has been quietly increasing its gas payments to Russia, while President Emmanuel Macron has been loudly positioning himself as one of Ukraine's staunchest defenders," the publication writes.

During this period, Paris has already paid Moscow more than 600 million euros for liquefied natural gas.

The publication emphasizes that France justifies its gas purchases by saying that they are necessary to supply households across Europe and that it has entered into a long-term agreement with Russia that is legally difficult to withdraw from. But critics say Paris could have done more to reduce EU purchases, linking French "inaction" to the resistance of its national energy company TotalEnergies.

"This is a difficult topic. If we continue to pay for gas that we don't import, it doesn't make sense," said a French energy ministry official, referring to the long-term contracts signed by TotalEnergies.