Meloni on US-Russia Diesel Deal: "The Result Is Doubtful, the Risks Are Obvious"

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has described the US-Russia diesel deal announced by President Donald Trump as a decision she considers "very risky." Addressing lawmakers before this week's EU leaders summit, she criticized the agreement on multiple grounds.

"The decision about Russian diesel, announced last Friday by US President Donald Trump, is a decision I consider very risky," the Italian premier stated. She added that the fuel price surge was caused primarily by the war in Iran rather than the conflict in Ukraine, making the deal's benefits questionable.

"So the result of this decision is doubtful, while the risks are obvious: legitimization of Moscow's actions while its bombs continue to fall on Ukrainian cities, new revenues to finance the war, an implicit weakening of sanctions pressure — these are factors we cannot ignore and that contradict what Western countries, including the US, have done so far to force Putin to the negotiating table," Meloni said.

The Italian government's foundational principles remain: support for Kyiv with particular attention to the civilian population, pressure on Moscow, and Euro-Atlantic unity, she emphasized.

Earlier, a bipartisan group of 12 US senators wrote to President Trump demanding he cancel the recently concluded deal with Putin allowing Russian-origin diesel fuel onto global markets.