EU: "Easing sanctions on Russian diesel gives Russia more funds to wage war"

The U.K. and Germany Also Vow to Maintain Pressure on Russia

The European Union (EU) criticized the United States for easing sanctions on Russian diesel and said it would maintain pressure on Russia. The United Kingdom and Germany also said they would uphold sanctions against Russia.

On October 10 (local time), EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas wrote on social media that more than 80 Ukrainians had been killed in Russian airstrikes over two days, and that Russia was intensifying hybrid attacks targeting EU member states and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies.

"Suspending sanctions on Russian diesel would give Russia more revenue to wage its war," Kallas said. "Now is not the time to ease pressure on Russia, and Europe will not do so." She added, "On Monday, October 12, EU foreign ministers intend to approve the largest list of sanctions since the start of the war, targeting Russia's ability to wage it."

U.S. President Donald Trump said the previous day, after speaking by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin, that they had agreed to supply Russian diesel to the United States and global markets. The U.S. Treasury Department announced a temporary easing of sanctions to allow the sale, transportation, unloading and import of Russian diesel.

In a separate statement, the European Commission also said, "We continue to believe that a ceasefire is needed in Ukraine and Russia to protect global food supplies and energy infrastructure." It added, "Europe is well aware of the hidden costs of excessive dependence on Russian hydrocarbons and does not want to fuel Russia's war against Ukraine."

A spokesperson for the U.K. Prime Minister's Office said, "The U.K.'s position is clear: We will work closely with international partners to ensure Ukraine receives military and financial support for its defense, and maintain pressure on Russia through the largest sanctions imposed by the U.K. to date, raising the cost of Putin's aggression."

A German government spokesperson also said in a statement sent to AFP, "The German government is upholding sanctions against Russia and working with its European partners on new sanctions." The spokesperson added, "Germany's support for Ukraine's efforts to defend itself remains unwavering."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.