Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Wednesday that US President Donald Trump's deal to buy Russian diesel was "very risky", arguing that it could end up "legitimising Moscow".
Once a key ally for Trump in Europe, Meloni has increasingly distanced herself after the US and Israel launched a war against Iran and has received scathing criticism from the US leader.
"We all understand, and share, the need to contain energy prices that are weighing on families and businesses, including in Italy.
"But we must be aware that the surge in fuel prices is mainly due to the war in Iran, and not to the conflict in Ukraine," she said in a speech to parliament ahead of this week's EU summit.
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"The outcome of this decision is uncertain, while the risks are clear: legitimising Moscow while its bombs continue to rain down on Ukrainian cities, providing new revenue to finance the war, and implicitly weakening the leverage of sanctions.
"These are factors we cannot ignore and that contradict everything Western states, including the United States, have done so far to push Vladimir Putin to sit down at the negotiating table," she said.
"I consider this choice very risky," she added, referring to Trump's deal.
Trump last week announced an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin to allow the country's diesel onto global markets in an effort to curb prices.
The Italian leader also accused Russia of seeking to “break the Ukrainian people through terror, cold and darkness”, having failed to prevail on the battlefield.
"Since the beginning of the year, Moscow has gained very little ground," she said, arguing that "this stalemate is the only effective instrument we have to bring Russia to a serious negotiating table".