EU expresses regret over Trump-Putin 'diesel deal,' but dialogue will continue – European diplomat

The European Union has expressed regret over the so-called "diesel deal" between US President Donald Trump and Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, signaling that differences persist between Europe and the United States concerning Russia's war in Ukraine. A European diplomat informed journalists in Brussels, ahead of the European Council meeting scheduled for October 15-16 in Brussels, that dialogue with the US on the matter will continue.

The diplomat said that this deal contradicts the EU's strategy of pressuring Russia and rejecting Russian energy sources, which has been in place for over four and a half years. Russia's share in imports of fossil fuels dropped significantly after 2021, thanks to the implementation of the REPowerEU strategy. The diplomat reiterated that such measures aim to stop funding Russia's war machine and pressure Russia to end the conflict.

He emphasized that while EU-US dialogue does not always lead to full agreement, it is still better than having no dialogue at all, and it has previously led to changes in US positions or closer alignment between the parties. The diplomat assured that all EU leaders share a common stance on the situation in Ukraine, so there's no need for European Council President António Costa to single out this specific issue during the meeting.