Brussels, March 13 (QNA) - The European Union described the United States' decision to lift some restrictions on Russian oil as "unilateral and very worrying," given the sharp rise in oil prices due to the war in the Middle East.
European Council President Antonio Costa said in a post on the X platform that this decision will have repercussions for European security, stressing that continuing economic pressure on Russia is crucial to pushing it to enter into serious negotiations with Ukraine.
He added that relaxing sanctions would increase the resources available to Russia to continue its war against Ukraine.
For its part, the European Commission called for not easing the sanctions imposed on Russia at this stage.
Its spokesperson, Paula Pinho, said that Russia has collected about USD 150 million a day in additional revenue from oil sales since the outbreak of the conflict in the Middle East, making it likely one of the biggest beneficiaries of this escalation.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bisnett announced yesterday that the sale of Russian oil would be permitted until April 11, provided it had been loaded onto ships before March 12. He described the decision as a short-term measure in response to the sharp rise in oil prices since the outbreak of the war in Iran.
Last week, the US administration also authorized the release of Russian oil shipments held at sea to India for a period of one month. (QNA)