Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
Life at the Russian embassy in France is getting increasingly difficult.
Filling up the tank is a mundane chore for most people.
You swipe your card, pump the gas, and drive away without a second thought.
But that simple routine has suddenly become a major headache for one group of highly connected foreign envoys.
A sudden pump problem
Russian diplomats stationed in Paris are finding themselves stuck at the petrol station. Their official bank cards are now being blocked for fuel purchases.
The news comes directly from Russia’s ambassador to France. Alexei Meshkov recently shared his frustrations with the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti.
He blamed a Belgian financial institution for triggering the initial restriction. When the embassy tried to route petrol payments through a French bank instead, they faced a swift rejection.
“This is a precedent set just this week, because before this, even starting in 2022, there were never any problems in this regard,” Meshkov said.
Money gets tighter
High fuel prices across Europe make the unexpected block a “significant blow” for the embassy staff.
This is just the latest financial hurdle for Moscow’s representatives in the French capital. The ambassador complained that “problems with accounts” are now a “practically permanent” feature of their working lives.
Back in February 2025, French authorities completely froze the bank accounts belonging to the Russian House cultural centre in Paris.
The French finance ministry eventually relaxed those strict rules. They allowed essential transactions to clear, but only under the direct supervision of a designated bank employee.
Frozen out completely
According to The Moscow Times, a round of European Union sanctions hit the embassy staff especially hard this past January.
France banned the free movement of these diplomats and their family members under the new rules. Any cross-border trips now require a 24-hour advance notice to the foreign ministry.
Social and diplomatic doors are slamming shut too. Paris has once again left Russian delegates off the guest list for its May 8 ceremonies marking the defeat of Nazism, a snub that started shortly after the invasion of Ukraine.
Russian state media reports indicate that envoys sometimes face the silent treatment during meetings. In some cases, they are simply asked to leave. Late last year, the European External Action Service reportedly urged its staff to avoid Russian colleagues entirely.
Sources: RIA Novosti, Russian state media, The Moscow Times
