U.S.-Russia deal on diesel is 'very risky choice,' Italy PM Meloni says

By Giuseppe Fonte

ROME, Oct 14 (Reuters) - The deal between the United States and Russia over diesel supply is a "very risky choice" that runs counter to efforts to force Vladimir Putin to sit at a negotiating table with Ukraine, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Wednesday.

The United States and Russia agreed last week that Moscow would initially supply more than 300,000 metric tons of diesel to U.S. and ​global markets.

"The outcome of this decision is uncertain, while the risks are clear," Meloni told the Italian parliament ahead of an EU summit this week.

"It provides Moscow with legitimacy as its bombs continue to fall on Ukrainian cities, generates new revenue to finance the war, and implicitly weakens the effectiveness of sanctions," she added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy criticised the accord, calling it "an investment in a war that must be ended."

U.S. President Donald Trump said it would lower energy prices in the United States, a major political headache for his Republican Party ahead of pivotal midterm elections that determine control of Congress.

Meloni told parliament the 27 EU countries should appoint "an authoritative figure" to negotiate for Europe over the Russia-Ukraine war, without ruling out a formal mandate for the ​E3 Group comprising Germany, France and Great Britain.

"If France, Germany, and Great Britain believe they can do better on their own than we could all do together, and so far that is the choice they have made, then at least let them do so on behalf of everyone and with an official mandate," Meloni said.

In other remarks, she said the EU summit would discuss what she said had been an escalation in Russian hybrid attacks, referring to drone incursions, cyber attacks, sabotage and other covert operations aimed at weakening backing for Kyiv.

"We need to protect our critical infrastructure: energy grids, undersea cables, ports, airports, and the underwater domain, where Italy possesses outstanding expertise," she said.

(Editing by Gavin Jones)