Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated that a deal between the United States and Russia for diesel supply is a "very risky choice" that undermines efforts to pressure Vladimir Putin. She argued the agreement provides Moscow with legitimacy, generates war revenue, and weakens sanctions.
The criticism from Italy's Prime Minister highlights a potential rift within Western allies regarding strategies to pressure Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, impacting the effectiveness of sanctions and the global energy market.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has criticized a recent agreement between the United States and Russia for diesel supply, calling it a "very risky choice" that undermines efforts to pressure Vladimir Putin into negotiations over the war in Ukraine. Meloni expressed her views to the Italian Senate on October 14, stating that the "surge in fuel prices is due primarily to the war in Iran, not the conflict in Ukraine."
The deal, announced October 9, allows Moscow to export diesel fuel to the U.S. and other markets despite sanctions imposed due to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Following direction from U.S. President Donald Trump, the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued a temporary general license to permit the supply of Russian diesel to the global market. In response, the Russian government partially lifted its diesel export ban, permitting the sale of 500,000 metric tons of diesel to foreign markets effective October 10.
Meloni argued that 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." She noted the step goes against the longstanding Western strategy of pressuring Putin to begin earnest negotiations to end the war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy thanked Meloni for her "support and a clear, unequivocal, principled stance," stating, "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."
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