0 , ▁he ▁served ▁as ▁chairman ▁of ▁the ▁company . ▁ ▁De ▁Mar ger ie ▁had ▁strong ▁t ies ▁with ▁many ▁countries ▁and ▁in ▁particular ▁with ▁Russia . ▁ ▁The ▁company ' s ▁interests ▁in ▁the ▁region ▁was ▁capital izing ▁and ▁sk ir ting ▁the ▁International ▁san ctions ▁during ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁pro - Russ ian ▁un rest ▁in ▁Ukraine ▁put ▁into ▁place ▁by ▁United ▁States ▁over ▁the ▁Ukrain ian ▁cr ises . ▁De ▁Mar ger ie , ▁the ▁char ism atic ▁person ▁a ka ▁" Big ▁Must ache ", ▁was ▁an ▁ast ute ▁strateg ist ▁who ▁recognized ▁that ▁the ▁san ctions ▁had ▁placed ▁the ▁Total ▁Group ▁at ▁a ▁distinct ▁advantage ▁to ▁the ▁rest rained ▁international ▁compet itors . ▁He ▁down ▁played ▁the ▁situation ▁by ▁saying ▁that ▁“ it ▁was ▁not ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁crisis ▁between ▁Europe ▁and ▁Russia ”. ▁Russia ' s ▁President ▁Vladimir ▁Put in ▁paid ▁t ribute ▁to ▁de ▁Mar ger ie ▁as ▁a ▁“ true ▁friend ▁of ▁our ▁country ” ▁via ▁tele gram ▁to ▁the ▁French ▁President , ▁Mr ▁H oll ande ; ▁further ▁stating , ▁ ▁de ▁Mar ger ie ▁had ▁“ p ione ered ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁major ▁joint ▁projects ▁and ▁laid ▁the ▁foundation ▁for ▁many ▁years ▁of ▁fruit ful ▁co - operation ▁between ▁France ▁and ▁Russia ▁in ▁the ▁energy ▁sector ”. '' '' ▁ ▁On ▁ 2 3 ▁July ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁he ▁and ▁ 1 5 ▁other ▁heads ▁of ▁French ▁companies ▁asked ▁the ▁French ▁government ▁to