UAE leader in France to discuss Russian energy alternatives

By BARBARA SURK and MASHA MACPHERSON
Associated Press

PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron is hosting the leader of the United Arab Emirates to ensure energy supplies from the oil-rich Gulf country. The meeting Monday comes as Europe prepares for the possibility of a total cutoff of Russian natural gas following sanctions over the war in Ukraine. UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan is on his first state visit to France. Oil and gas supplies to France and the European Union will top the agenda as the 27-member bloc scrambles to prepare for winter. France has been in discussions with the UAE regarding supplies of oil and diesel as a Russian alternative.