European Commission rejects easing sanctions on Russian oil, wants to maintain pressure on Moscow

The European Commission today rejected the idea of easing sanctions on Russian oil in response to current tensions in energy markets. Instead, it called for maintaining maximum pressure on Moscow, AFP reported.

"We must maintain maximum pressure on Russia," Economy Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said, according to AFP.

He was responding to a question about US President Donald Trump's statement that the United States was prepared to lift some oil sanctions in an effort to bring down crude prices.

Concerns that the conflict in the Middle East, sparked by US-Israeli attacks on Iran, could disrupt energy commodity supplies for a prolonged period are driving tensions in energy markets. Oil prices rose above 100 dollars per barrel overnight into Monday as a result, briefly reaching their highest levels since mid-2022. They later fell back to around 90 dollars per barrel. Trump's remarks about the war with Iran nearing its end and plans to lift some oil sanctions contributed to the decline.