Meloni calls Trump's Russian diesel understanding very risky, blames Iran for fuel prices
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni told the Senate that the US understanding on Russian diesel carries clear risks, and that the fuel price spike stems mainly from the war in Iran rather than Ukraine.
Meloni told the Senate, in communications ahead of the EU summit, that the understanding on Russian diesel Trump announced in early October is a choice she considers very risky. She said the outcome of the move is doubtful while its risks are clear. The risks she listed are legitimacy for Moscow while its bombs keep falling on Ukrainian cities, new revenue to fund the war, and an implicit weakening of sanctions leverage.
On the substance, she put it in direct terms:
It is a choice that I consider very risky.
On fuel prices, Meloni said the spike is due mainly to the war in Iran, not the conflict in Ukraine, and that the government shares the need to contain energy costs for families and businesses in Italy. She argued the diesel move contradicts what Western states, the United States included, have done to push Putin to the negotiating table.