French President Emmanuel Macron stated that Russia's belief that the war in Iran will offer it respite is mistaken. Macron vowed to maintain pressure on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.
This comes as the United States partially rolled back sanctions against Moscow to cool oil prices, which have surged due to the Middle East war. Kyiv's allies are concerned this move could aid Russian President Vladimir Putin. Washington-brokered talks between Kyiv and Moscow have also been disrupted by recent US-Israeli strikes against Iran.
Macron emphasized that rising oil prices must not lead to a reconsideration of sanctions policy towards Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that the US decision could provide Russia with approximately $10 billion for its war efforts, hindering peace.
Macron also pledged to ensure the release of a vital 90-billion-euro EU loan to Ukraine, which had been blocked by Hungary. The leaders were set to discuss targeting Russia's "shadow fleet" of tankers used to transport oil in violation of sanctions. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also stated that easing sanctions now is the wrong course of action, as it would allow Russia to exploit the conflict in Iran to weaken Ukraine.