Meloni says U.S.-Russia diesel agreement is "implicit weakening of the sanctions lever"

Speaking in Italy’s Parliament in Rome on Wednesday, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni objected to a U.S.-Russia agreement reached the previous Friday that allows Russian diesel purchases. She described the arrangement as dangerous and said it amounted to an endorsement of Moscow while Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities continue. Meloni also warned that it undercuts sanctions as a tool of pressure and conflicts with earlier actions, including by Washington, aimed at pressing Russian President Vladimir Putin to negotiate. She made the remarks before traveling to Brussels for a European Council meeting on Thursday and Friday.