EU leaders rebuke Washington over easing of Russian diesel sanctions

European Union leaders closed a two-day summit in Brussels on Friday by formally registering their disapproval of Washington's decision to temporarily lift sanctions on Russian diesel, according to the European Council's published summary of the meeting.

The conclusions state that the European Council "regrets" the U.S. decision, Anadolu Agency reported. Trump administration officials have presented the diesel arrangement as a way to ease high fuel prices.

What Washington changed

Al Jazeera reported that the U.S. Treasury has waived sanctions on Russian diesel sales until April 2027, and that President Donald Trump separately signed an executive order waiving newly passed congressional sanctions on Russia, citing the national interest. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized the diesel deal as a gift to Moscow, the outlet reported, while EU economy chief Valdis Dombrovskis played down its economic weight.

What the EU agreed

According to the Council summary, leaders:

• welcomed a 21st sanctions package and listings of nearly 1,600 individuals and entities;
• called for a coordinated push against Russia's shadow fleet of tankers;
• said further restrictions, including tighter visa rules for Russian nationals, should be considered in response to hybrid attacks and airspace violations;
• welcomed disbursements under a 90 billion euro support loan for Ukraine covering 2026 and 2027.

Leaders also asked the European Commission for more short-term steps against soaring energy prices and urged a deal on the bloc's 2028-2034 budget before year's end.

Al Jazeera noted that while the EU has largely banned Russian oil, it still imports significant volumes of Russian gas, which it plans to phase out next year.