Meloni warns US-Russia diesel deal could benefit Moscow
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Wednesday criticised the United States' agreement with Russia on diesel supplies, calling it a “very risky choice” that could undermine efforts to bring Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table over the war in Ukraine.Speaking in the Italian parliament ahead of a European Union summit this week, Meloni said the agreement could provide Moscow with additional revenue to fund the war and weaken the impact of sanctions imposed over its invasion of Ukraine, according to Reuters.“The outcome of this decision is uncertain, while the risks are clear,” she said.“It provides Moscow with legitimacy as its bombs continue to fall on Ukrainian cities, generates new revenue to finance the war, and implicitly weakens the effectiveness of sanctions,” Meloni added.The United States and Russia said last week they had agreed on an initial supply of more than 300,000 metric tonnes of diesel to US and global markets.US President Donald Trump has defended the arrangement, saying it would help bring down energy prices for American consumers ahead of crucial midterm elections that will determine control of Congress.
Meloni calls for EU representative in Russia-Ukraine negotiations
Meloni also urged the 27-member European Union to appoint an authoritative representative to negotiate on its behalf over the Russia-Ukraine war.
She did not rule out giving a formal mandate to the E3 group, comprising France, Germany and the United Kingdom, to represent the bloc in such discussions.“If France, Germany, and Great Britain believe they can do better on their own than we could all do together, and so far that is the choice they have made, then at least let them do so on behalf of everyone and with an official mandate,” Meloni said, according to Reuters.Her remarks come ahead of an EU summit at which support for Ukraine, including its war funding, is expected to be a key issue. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Sunday that Ukraine's financing would be “front and centre” at the meeting.
Trump defends diesel deal as Ukraine objects
Trump has defended the agreement on the grounds of American interests, arguing that increased supplies would ease fuel prices. In a post on his Truth Social platform, he said he had made the right choice for Americans, while also accusing the media of overlooking European payments to Russia for energy.Russian deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak has said Moscow could supply as much as 3.5 million tonnes of diesel a month to global markets by the end of the year.The arrangement has drawn criticism from Ukraine, which has argued that additional Russian petroleum revenues could help fund Moscow's war effort. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the proposed suspension of sanctions on Russian oil products until April 2027 would undermine Ukraine's efforts to restrict Russia's income from energy exports.“Gifts to Putin will not lead to peace,” Zelenskyy said on Saturday. He added that easing sanctions without a clear and lasting agreement to de-escalate the conflict would be “an obvious sign of weakness”.The EU, meanwhile, has continued to pursue economic pressure on Moscow. The bloc announced a fresh sanctions package targeting individuals and entities linked to Russia's military-industrial network.The contrasting approaches to Russian energy supplies have exposed differences between Washington and European governments over how to pressure Moscow and pursue an end to the war in Ukraine.