Meloni to the Senate: Trump-Putin agreement on Russian diesel is "risky"

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni reported to the Senate the day after the European Council meeting of October 15 and 16, criticizing the agreement on Russian diesel signed by Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. According to the premier, the deal is risky, as it ends up legitimizing Moscow while the war in Ukraine is still ongoing.

In her address to the chamber, Meloni defended Italy’s line of support for Kyiv and identified rising energy prices as the issue weighing most heavily on the country’s economy, calling for a coordinated and swift European response.

“The Trump-Putin agreement is risky,” the premier said, summarizing in these terms her assessment of the deal between Washington and Moscow delivered to the chamber.

The Senate voted on two majority resolutions at the end of the debate. The opposition did not vote on the one dedicated to Ukraine, marking a clear split on the issue of support for Kyiv precisely in the days when the agreement on Russian diesel has reopened the debate on Western sanctions.

The premier’s address comes in the context of the EU summit from which she has just returned. The European Council of October 15-16 gave the green light to measures against rising energy prices and proposed a one-year postponement of new rules on methane imports, leaving open the question of the 2028-2034 multiannual budget: President of the European Council Antonio Costa will have to present a new negotiating document on this front in the coming weeks.

For Meloni, the priority remains consistency between support for Kyiv and energy policy: a deal that reduces pressure on Russian fuel exports, according to the premier, risks weakening the Western front precisely as the conflict continues. It is on this fault line — between the need to contain energy costs and holding firm on sanctions — that the credibility of Italy’s position will be tested in the coming months.

The vote on the two resolutions shows how the issue of Ukraine remains a battleground in Italian parliamentary politics, with the majority holding firm on its line of support for Kyiv and the opposition choosing not to vote on the dedicated resolution.

The news of the premier’s address to the Senate currently comes from a single source (Il Messaggero); no independent confirmation is available. The next test for Italy’s position remains the practical handling of rising energy prices, which the premier herself has identified as the most urgent issue for the national economy.

Sources: Il Messaggero; Quotidiano Nazionale