«Russian oil already in transit will be able to be purchased». Just under two weeks after the US attack on Iran, what European chancelleries had been fearing for days is becoming clear: the war in the Middle East and the conflict in Ukraine are starting to intersect in a concrete way. To the advantage of Vladimir Putin and with the seal of Donald Trump. The easing of the Kremlin’s sanctions on crude oil decided by Washington is a step aimed at calming the markets but has turned into yet another stab in the back of Brussels and Kiev. And it took shape while, in Europe, they began to seriously study the moves to make the Strait of Hormuz navigable again. Moves that look more at a potential dialogue with Tehran than at help from the United States. Europe seethes under the economic impact of a war it did not want. The Union is forced to think, once again, about emergency measures, starting with those on energy. While, among the chancelleries, the idea of a diplomatic intervention to at least limit the damage on gas and oil imports is starting to gain ground. A discreet intervention, however to be developed independently of the USA. This was revealed by the Financial Times, according to which some European countries have started talks with Tehran in an attempt to negotiate an agreement that guarantees safe passage for their ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
The position of Europe
«France is one of the countries involved in the talks» and that «Italy has also made attempts to start discussions with Tehran», wrote the British newspaper. Sources at Palazzo Chigi were quick to deny “the opening of bilateral negotiations or direct negotiations with Iran to guarantee the passage of Italian ships”. “We are not negotiating with Iran,” Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani reiterated a few hours later. The Elysée did not comment on the Ft’s revelations. EU sources instead observed that a UN initiative would be preferable for the Strait of Hormuz. Which at the moment, however, seems far away. The EU would have adequate diplomatic channels to reach Tehran. And the idea is no longer a taboo in Brussels, also because – as Chancellor Friedrich Merz put it, “this conflict is of no benefit to anyone”. This will be discussed at the summit of the 27 on Thursday, and it will be a crucial moment for the EU. Trump’s move on Russian oil further complicated the picture. The EU’s response was very clear. “The unilateral decision of the United States to lift sanctions on Russian oil exports is very worrying, as it affects European security,” wrote the President of the European Council on «Our sanctions» on Russian oil «and the price cap decided at EU level remain valid. This is not the time to relax them”, the EU Commission reiterated for its part. Merz himself spoke on the topic, speaking of a “wrong” decision by the White House.
The Ukraine knot
The imperative, in Europe, remains to increase pressure on the Tsar and prevent Ukraine from being forgotten. It is no coincidence that Volodymyr Zelensky has planned a new mini-tour in the EU, which took him to Paris and will lead him to Madrid in the next few hours. The moment is extremely delicate for the Ukrainian president. The long and bitter dispute with Hungary and Slovakia over the functioning of the Druzbha oil pipeline does not help him. The Commission is trying to act as a bridge, aware that beyond Viktor Orban’s sovereignist slogans, the issue exists and is inexorably contributing to Budapest and Bratislava’s veto of Kiev’s 90 billion loan. Meanwhile, it could only be Budapest that grasped Trump’s outstretched hand on Russian oil. “The EU should follow the American example and not make decisions on Zelensky’s requests”, attacked Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó.