Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposed Turkish “gas hub” for gas exports to Europe makes “no sense” at a time when Europeans want to reduce their dependence on Russian hydrocarbons, France’s president said on Thursday, according to AFP.

“It makes no sense to build new infrastructure to allow more Russian gas to be imported,” Elisey said.

Vladimir Putin on Thursday proposed to his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan to create this “gas hub”, suggesting that it would allow Europeans to get gas at less “exorbitant” prices.

“Just a few months ago, almost 40% of the gas supplied to the European Union came from Russia. Now this share of Russian gas is only 7.5% and will continue to decrease,” the French president replied.

“It is quite possible that Russia and Turkey will decide to jointly export more gas, but it cannot be to the European Union, which has commitments on sovereignty, reducing its dependence and, moreover, on climate change, which are incompatible with such considerations. “, she added.

Vladimir Putin also assured on Wednesday that Moscow is ready to resume supplies to Europe via the Nord Stream gas pipeline.

Russia suspended supplies through Nord Stream 1 in late August, citing technical problems. Germany abandoned Nord Stream 2 at the beginning of the Russian offensive on Ukraine.

At the end of September, four huge gas leaks appeared on two pipelines connecting Russia and Germany, caused, according to several countries, by underwater detonations.