European leaders have launched a rare rebuke of the United States’ decision to lift sanctions on Russian oil exports amid the ongoing war in the Middle East that has created havoc in global oil and gas markets.

“We believe that easing sanctions now, for whatever reason, is the wrong thing to do,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on a visit to Norway on Friday.

Overnight, Washington moved to unleash around one day’s worth of global oil demand by lifting sanctions on seaborne Russian oil. The US has also given a waiver to Indian refiners to purchase sanctioned Russian oil since the Iran war began. This comes as the EU is attempting to convince its member countries, Hungary and Slovakia, to sign up to a 20th round of sanctions on Russia.

European Council President António Costa, who chairs and coordinates meetings of all 27 EU leaders, also criticised the move. “The unilateral decision by the US to lift sanctions on Russian oil exports is very concerning, as it impacts European security,” he wrote on social media.

This week, the Portuguese politician also struck a more critical tone regarding US President Donald Trump’s attacks on Iran. “Freedom and human rights cannot be achieved through bombs,” Costa said.

Meanwhile, Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen flip-flopped on the consequences of the US war against Iran for the global order, and Kaja Kallas, the bloc’s foreign policy chief, accused the US of wilfully dividing Europe.

“We understand that the exception the US has granted is limited in time and in scope to vessels at sea,” von der Leyen’s spokesperson Paula Pinho said on Friday, adding that “Russia should absolutely not benefit from the war on Iran.”

Brussels and Washington were closely aligned on sanctions against Russia under Joe Biden, but have diverged since Trump returned to office in January last year.

Earlier this week, EU Economy chief Valdis Dombrovskis said the US was still “broadly aligned” on the need to reduce Russia’s oil revenues.

“All partners should maintain pressure on Russia and its war chest,” said a spokesperson for UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday.