‘Not the time to ease pressure on Russia,’ EU’s Kallas warns against suspending sanctions

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on Saturday warned against suspending sanctions on Russia and noted that it was “not the time” to ease pressure following a recent diesel deal between the US and Russia.

“Suspending sanctions on Russian diesel provides Moscow with more revenues to wage war. This is not the time to ease pressure on Russia, and Europe won’t,” Kallas wrote on US social media platform X.

She also said that EU foreign ministers are expected to approve the “biggest set of sanctions listings” targeting Russia on Monday.

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone on Friday. Trump described the conversation as a “highly successful discussion.”

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the talks resulted in an agreement for Russia to “immediately supply” more than 300,000 tons of diesel fuel to the US and global markets.

He said another 500,000 tons would be supplied in November, followed by 1 million tons and an additional 3 million tons “within a short period,” depending on the condition of Russian diesel refineries.

Putin said Russian diesel supplies to the US and global markets would benefit the world economy, adding that the two leaders discussed the global energy sector, prospects for resolving the Ukraine war, the situation in Iran, and bilateral relations.