Europe has “lost its mind” in its approach to Russia, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin said. He was commenting on the reactions of European countries to the deal between Moscow and Washington for supplies of Russian diesel fuel.
“Europe as a whole is behaving irrationally toward everything Russia does and toward energy cooperation in general,” Pankin told TASS. According to him, European countries have condemned themselves to dependence not on Russia, but on “other countries, only a few of them at that.”
The deputy minister drew a distinction between the positions of Europe and the United States. In his view, Washington is taking a pragmatic approach to the issue of energy supplies from Russia, while the European reaction is driven by an irrational attitude toward Russia’s actions.
The Deal for Russian Diesel
The agreement on the supplies was announced after a conversation between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The plan provided for Russia to immediately supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel fuel for the U.S. and global markets, another 500,000 tons in November, and additional quantities thereafter.
The decision drew criticism in the United States and Europe because of the war in Ukraine and the restrictions in place on Russian energy exports. European officials said that sanctions pressure on Moscow must continue despite the agreement between Washington and the Kremlin.
The first tanker carrying Russian diesel under the deal set sail for the United States in October. Later, a change in the course of other tankers cast doubt on whether all the planned deliveries would be carried out.
Pankin’s statement comes amid continuing disagreements between Russia, the United States and European countries over the future of energy cooperation and sanctions related to the war in Ukraine.
Sources: tass.ru, apnews.com