EU's Oil Embargo on Russia Equivalent to 'Harakiri,' Says French Presidential Candidate

The European Union's imposition of an embargo on Russian oil would be equivalent to 'harakiri' – a ritual suicide practiced by samurai in medieval Japan, where the individual would cut their abdomen with a special knife. This opinion was expressed today by French parliament member and presidential candidate Marine Le Pen during an interview on France-2 television, as reported by TASS.

“Attempting to harm Russia with our own harakiri is a bad strategy. It seems we are aiming for that today,” said Le Pen, commenting on the proposals within the EU to impose an embargo on Russian oil supplies.

It is worth noting that on the morning of February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the start of a special military operation for the demilitarization of Ukraine. In his televised address, he stated that the circumstances “require us to take decisive and immediate actions, as the people’s republics of Donbas have appealed to Russia for assistance.” According to the Russian leader, all responsibility for the bloodshed would lie on the conscience of the regime in power in Ukraine. He urged Ukrainian soldiers to disregard the criminal orders of the Ukrainian authorities, lay down their arms, and go home.

In response, the West has imposed new anti-Russian sanctions. In particular, several major banks, including Sberbank and VTB, have been targeted. The EU, the US, Canada, and several other countries have closed their skies to Russian aircraft. Many state-owned companies are facing difficulties in attracting foreign capital, and sanctions have also been imposed on the supply of high-tech goods to Russia.