European leaders have rounded on the United States after President Donald Trump moved to temporarily lift sanctions on Russian oil, with senior figures across the continent warning the decision risks channelling funds directly into Moscow’s ongoing war against Ukraine.
The criticism came after the US Treasury issued a licence on Thursday authorising the delivery and sale of Russian crude oil and petroleum products loaded onto vessels before 12:01am Eastern Time on 12 March, valid through to 12:01am on 11 April. The move followed a separate decision last week in which Washington temporarily permitted Russian oil stranded at sea to be sold to India — a measure US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described as “narrowly tailored” and “short-term,” insisting it would not provide “significant financial benefit to the Russian government.”
That reassurance has done little to satisfy European allies. French President Emmanuel Macron, who currently holds the G7 presidency, addressed fellow leaders directly, stating that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz “in no way” justified easing sanctions against Russia. Speaking to the group, Macron said: “The consensus was that we should not change our position on Russia and should maintain our efforts on Ukraine.”
Germany’s Economy Minister Katherina Reiche was equally pointed, saying Berlin was “concerned that we are further filling Putin’s war chest.” The phrase has become a rallying point for European opposition to Washington’s position, with Western allies arguing that revenue from Russian oil sales feeds directly into funding for the Kremlin’s military campaign.
Britain also distanced itself from the US approach. The UK’s energy minister confirmed on Friday morning that the country would not be loosening its own sanctions on Russian oil “at all,” signalling that London intends to maintain its existing stance regardless of Washington’s decision.
The backdrop to the row is a sharp rise in global oil prices, which climbed above $100 a barrel on Thursday. Surging prices are seen as a potential lifeline for Moscow’s public finances, which have come under increasing strain from existing Western sanctions. The European Union banned maritime imports of Russian crude in 2022, and pipeline exports via Ukraine to Hungary and Slovakia have been effectively blocked since January.
Bessent sought to limit the significance of the Treasury’s authorisation, arguing that Russia derives the majority of its energy revenue from taxes assessed at the point of extraction rather than from the sale of oil already at sea. European governments have disputed that framing, and the divergence in approach between the US and its allies over Russian sanctions policy is expected to remain a point of friction in the coming weeks.
