Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the move was “not conducive to peace” as Europe reels from soaring energy prices linked to the Iran war.
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Published March 13, 2026
Ukraine and its European allies are rebelling against US President Donald Trump’s administration’s decision to partially lift sanctions against Russia due to soaring energy prices linked to the Iran war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday that the move “strengthens Russia’s position” as efforts to help U.S. efforts to end more than four years of war appear to have stalled.
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“We are spending money from energy sales on weapons, and all of it is being used against us,” Zelenskiy said at a press conference in Paris, alongside France’s Emmanuel Macron.
“The easing of (sanctions) by the United States alone could provide Russia with about $10 billion in war funds, which certainly won’t help peace,” he said.
As the US and Israel’s war against Iran disrupts global energy markets, the US on Thursday announced a 30-day exemption for countries to purchase sanctioned Russian oil and oil products currently stranded at sea.
The conflict has disrupted energy production in the Middle East by shutting down the Strait of Hormuz, a vital Gulf waterway through which about a fifth of the world’s oil passes.
President Macron and other European leaders criticized the Trump administration’s decision to ease economic restraints on Russia, which has faced global sanctions since its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
European Council President Antonio Costa said the move was “very concerning as it affects European security”.
“Increased economic pressure on Russia is crucial for Russia to accept serious negotiations towards a just and lasting peace,” Costa wrote in X. “Weakening sanctions will increase Russia’s resources to wage a war of aggression against Ukraine.”
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also said: “Whatever the reason, it would be wrong to ease sanctions now.”
“We believe that is the wrong thing to do,” Mertz said. “Ultimately, we want to make sure Russia doesn’t use the Iran war to weaken Ukraine.”
French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking alongside Zelensky, stressed the limited and temporary nature of the US 30-day exemption and warned the Russian government that Europe would maintain pressure on the country.
“Russia may now believe that the Iran war will bring it respite, but it is wrong,” the French president said.
About 7.3 million barrels of Russian crude oil is stored in floating storage, and 148.6 million barrels are stored on ships in transit, according to data analysis firm Vortexa.
Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev said the US exemption would affect 100 million barrels of Russian crude, equivalent to almost one day’s worth of world oil production.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also told reporters on Friday that the Trump administration’s measures are aimed at stabilizing global energy markets. “In this respect, our interests coincide,” Peskov said.
Earlier this week, the International Energy Agency announced that its 32 member countries had unanimously agreed to release 400 million barrels of oil from emergency reserves in a bid to lower prices.
“This is a major step aimed at mitigating the immediate impact of market disruption,” IEA Director-General Fatih Birol said on Wednesday.
“But let me be clear: the most important thing to do to restore a steady flow of oil and gas is to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to traffic.”
