White House responds to Meloni, 'diesel accord is a great deal'

(ANSA) - ROME, 15 OTT - The White House on Thursday responded to Premier Giorgia Meloni saying the US-Russian diesel deal was risky and legitimised Moscow by saying that it was "a great deal". "President Trump has successfully negotiated another major agreement to supply the global market with enormous quantities of diesel and lower prices," said a White House spokesperson to la Repubblica in response to criticism from Meloni regarding the deal reached between the US president and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump agreed to ease sanctions on Russian diesel so Moscow can resume selling it on international markets. Meloni said Wednesday Trump's deal on Russian diesel is risky and legitimizes Moscow. "The deal on Russian diesel announced last Friday by US President Donald Trump is a move I consider very risky." she said during her address to the Senate ahead of the European Council meeting on Thursday and Friday. She explained that "the surge in fuel prices is due primarily to the war in Iran, not the conflict in Ukraine. "Consequently, the outcome of this move is questionable, while the risks are clear: legitimizing Moscow while its bombs continue to fall on Ukrainian cities, generating new revenue to finance the war, and implicitly weakening the leverage of sanctions—these are factors we cannot ignore, and they contradict the actions taken so far by Western nations, including the United States, to press Putin to come to the negotiating table." A Russian foreign ministry spokesperson said that the d eal was none of Meloni's business. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday thanked Meloni for her support and unequivocal stance in condemning the deal. "I thank Giorgia Meloni for her support and for her clear, unequivocal, and principled stance. Thank you for understanding who the aggressor is and what it means to build a dignified and lasting peace. This is possible only through strength and joint efforts for our security," Zelenskyy stated in a post on X. (ANSA).
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