Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni criticized the US-Russia arrangement Wednesday as a "very risky choice" that contradicts efforts to bring Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table with Ukraine. US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had told Ukrainian officials Friday that allowing Russia to export an initial 300,000 tons of diesel, or more than 2.25 million barrels, was meant to soften Moscow's stance and revive peace talks, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the move as "weak" and "a happy birthday present for Putin."
The agreement, backed by a Treasury license authorizing Russian diesel transactions through April 7, 2027, has also drawn a bipartisan push from 12 US senators urging President Donald Trump to rescind the waiver. US diesel futures jumped 4.5% Tuesday to a two week high and retail prices averaged $6.28 a gallon, near September's $6.53 record, as traders and analysts warned the pledged volumes are too small to ease tight global supplies ahead of the November midterm elections.