US threatens to cut intel sharing with Ukraine in push to protect Russian oil refineries, sources confirm
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The Kyiv Independent had learned that the Trump administration had threatened senior Ukrainian military and government officials in a push to protect Russian oil refineries.
Two Ukrainian officials said their U.S. counterparts had made clear that Washington would hold Kyiv responsible if Russian energy infrastructure were struck during the recently announced ceasefire.
"They called all the top military officials with threats," one Ukrainian official told the Kyiv Independent. "They're telling everyone that they're going to turn off both the intelligence sharing and PURL."
The threats come after a confusing 48 hours during which U.S. President Donald Trump announced a controversial "deal" with Russian President Vladimir Putin to import Russian diesel, followed by repeated demands that Ukraine replace Volodymyr Zelensky as president, followed by Trump announcing a unilateral "energy ceasefire" between Russia and Ukraine, which blindsided both Moscow and Kyiv.
Multiple senior Ukrainian officials told the Kyiv Independent that Kyiv had not been informed in advance of Trump's Oct. 11 ceasefire announcement. After the announcement, Ukrainian officials reportedly came under pressure to abide by the ceasefire and refrain from striking Russian oil refineries.
Russia continued to attack Ukrainian energy infrastructure, with the Kharkiv thermal power plant being hit just hours after Trump's announcement.
According to another official, President's Office Deputy Head Pavlo Palisa, in charge of military affairs, and Mykhailo Drapatyi, commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, had received calls from the American side. Palisa also confirmed to the Financial Times that he had received threats from the Trump administration.
PURL — which stands for "Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List" — is a Europe-led initiative that aims to provide Ukraine with critical U.S. weaponry, financed primarily by NATO members. In the first year of the initiative, $6.7 billion worth of weaponry was provided through the scheme.
Although direct U.S. military aid has been suspended since Trump's inauguration, intelligence sharing has continued.
Speaking to the Russian news agency TASS, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the reported energy truce but said Russia was "ready to do everything possible" to achieve "long-term peace."
Nonetheless, the Ukrainian president signaled Kyiv's willingness to abide by the terms of the ceasefire, while adding they would need more information about the exact proposal.
Ukrainians remain skeptical that the one-sided energy ceasefire will hold.
"Immediately after (Trump's ceasefire) post, Russia launched a targeted strike on a power plant in Kharkiv, causing further damage to our energy system," Zelensky said during an event attended by Kyiv Independent journalists at the Warsaw Security Forum.
"It was clear that Putin does not read TruthSocial."
"We agreed to an energy ceasefire. The American team knows very well what this means for us. We do not have major oil reserves, large oil export capacity, or dozens of oil refineries," Zelensky said.
He repeated Ukraine's willingness to agree to a mutual energy ceasefire, but reiterated it would have to include energy infrastructure, not just refineries, as Ukraine does not have any functional oil refining infrastructure.
"In Ukraine, we have just one oil refinery. And it was badly damaged by Russian strikes long, long ago. So importing oil products is simply our reality," Zelensky said.
"And that is why our offer is honest and clear. We are ready to respect an energy ceasefire if Russia is ready to do the same. We agree if they agree," he continued.
"And we have already shown that we mean it. Last night, Russian oil refineries were not burned. But at midnight, a Russian jet-powered Shahed struck a gas production facility in Ukraine."
