Ukraine, EU allies slam US decision to roll back Russia oil sanctions

Volodymyr Zelenskyy says move ‘does not help peace’ as Europe reels from soaring energy prices linked to Iran war.Published On 13 Mar 2026Ukraine and its European allies have hit out at a decision by United States President Donald Trump’s administration to partially roll back sanctions against Russia amid soaring energy prices linked to the Iran war.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday that the move would “strengthen Russia’s position” as US-backed efforts to reach an agreement to end the more than four-year war appear to have stalled.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3IEA agrees record release of oil reserves to counter soaring energy priceslist 2 of 3Why does Iran war pose more dilemmas for Europe?list 3 of 3IEA announces release of 400 million barrels of oil. But is it enough?end of list“It is spending the money it earns from energy sales on weapons, and all of this is then being used against us,” said Zelenskyy, speaking alongside his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, during a news conference in Paris.“Just this easing [of sanctions] by America could provide Russia with around $10bn for the war. This certainly does not help peace,” he said.The US on Thursday issued a 30-day waiver for countries to buy sanctioned Russian oil and petroleum products currently stranded at sea, as global energy markets have been roiled by the US-Israeli war on Iran.The conflict has led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical Gulf waterway through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil transits, and disrupted energy production in the Middle East.Macron and other European leaders criticised the Trump administration’s decision to ease the economic curbs against Russia, which has faced global sanctions since it invaded Ukraine in February 2022.Antonio Costa, president of the European Council, said the move “is very concerning, as it impacts European security”.