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EU pledges tougher Russia sanctions despite Trump’s diesel deal with Putin
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said that Russia killed more than 80 Ukrainians in the span of two days. Kallas, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, was responding to an agreement between US President Donald Trump and Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin on the supply of Russian diesel fuel to American and global markets.
Writing on social media, Kallas argued that suspending sanctions on diesel supplies would hand Moscow extra revenue to continue its war. She stressed that now is not the time to ease pressure on what she called the aggressive state, and said the EU would not do so. EU foreign ministers are set to approve the largest sanctions package yet against Russia’s military sector since the start of the full-scale invasion, at a meeting scheduled for October 12.
According to Kallas, more than 80 Ukrainian civilians have been killed in two days of Russian strikes. She also said Moscow had intensified hybrid attacks against EU and NATO member states.
The British government announced yesterday that the United Kingdom plans to keep up pressure on Russia "with the strictest sanctions regime".
Media reports said Trump made the call on Russian diesel supplies after Ukraine’s president ignored appeals to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries. Meanwhile, three Democratic senators criticized Trump’s decision to allow Russian diesel fuel imports.
