Maud Descamps, edited by Solène Leroux 8:36 p.m., March 14, 2022, modified at 8:37 p.m., March 14, 2022

Another consequence of the conflict in Ukraine: the price of fuel is soaring.

If there is a slight respite, in the coming weeks prices will again soar.

The lull observed is due to diplomatic exchanges between Russia and Ukraine.

If the situation becomes tense again, the barrel of Brent will rise again. 

As a result of the conflict in Ukraine, prices at the pump have never reached such heights, with two euros per liter on average last week.

But many of you have noticed even higher prices: 2€30, 2€40 and even 2€50.

Today, the trend is rather downward, but we should not rejoice too quickly.

This is only a slight respite before a rise in the coming weeks.

Indeed, fuel prices have started to fall today: minus 10 cents, even 15 in some service stations.

This should continue in the coming days, with fuel expected to drop below two euros per litre.

>> READ ALSO -

 "At this price, we will stop driving": at 2.21 euros, a liter of gasoline breaks a new record

A lull due to the talks

Initially, the launch of the Russian offensive in Ukraine initially panicked the international markets which are beginning to calm down.

"Since the heat wave that we had last week on the international market, there has indeed been a drop in prices, and in particular in the price of crude oil", explains Olivier Gantois, president of the French Union of petroleum industries (UFIP).

"Crude Oil started last week at $110. It had gone up to 130 and this afternoon it's at 106. There was a lull and that was mainly due to the resumption of talks. between Ukraine and Russia", he continues at the microphone of Europe 1. If the situation becomes tense again, the barrel of Brent will start to rise again and therefore the prices at the pump too. 

Oil companies, big winners

Several voices are raised against the oil companies since they are the big winners of these increases.

If we look at the net profit of TotalEnergies for the last quarter of 2021, it was multiplied by 23 compared to the previous year with 14 billion euros in profit for the whole of last year.

>> Find Europe evening in replay and podcast here

So, several presidential candidates, such as Jean-Luc Mélenchon, Marine Le Pen or the ecologist Yannick Jadot, advocate the establishment of a tax on oil producing companies.

An idea also defended by the European Commission, but also by the Secretary General of the OECD, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, in order to finance the measures put in place by the various European governments to help motorists.