Italy’s PM Meloni Calls the U.S.-Russian Diesel Pact a “Very Risky Move.”

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated on Wednesday that the agreement between the United States and Russia on diesel supply is a “very risky choice” that contradicts attempts to compel Vladimir Putin to negotiate with Ukraine.

Moscow will initially deliver more than 300,000 metric tons of diesel to U.S. and international markets, according to an agreement reached last week between the United States and Russia.

“The outcome of this decision is uncertain, while the risks are clear,” Meloni told the Italian parliament ahead of an EU summit this week. “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,” she added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy criticised the accord, calling it “an investment in a war that must be ended.”

A significant political challenge for his Republican Party before of crucial midterm elections that determine control of Congress, U.S. President Donald Trump said it will cut energy prices in the country. Meloni told parliament that the 27 EU nations should choose “an authoritative figure” to represent Europe in negotiations over the Russia-Ukraine conflict, but he did not exclude out a formal mandate for the E3 Group, which consists of France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

She said that the EU summit would address what she described as an increase in Russian hybrid tactics, which included sabotage, cyberattacks, drone incursions, and other clandestine operations meant to erode support for Kyiv. “We need to protect our critical infrastructure: energy grids, undersea cables, ports, airports, and the underwater domain, where Italy possesses outstanding expertise,” she said.