Washington is threatening to shut down the mechanism through which Europe buys American weapons for Ukraine, and to curb intelligence sharing, unless Kyiv stops striking Russian oil refineries, the Financial Times has reported. The pressure comes as Donald Trump, facing near-record US diesel prices before the November 3 midterm elections, has eased sanctions on Russian diesel. He did so barely three weeks after he signed a law authorising tariffs of up to 100 per cent on major buyers of Russian energy, including India and China.
The FT, citing European officials, said US officials had been telephoning European capitals and Kyiv to demand an end to Ukraine’s long-range strikes on Russian refineries. The threats included halting the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (Purl), the system through which Ukraine’s allies fund deliveries of US-made weapons, and cutting intelligence sharing. Both are central to Ukraine’s defence.
“They are calling Kyiv . ... They are calling everyone [in Europe],” said an official who received a call from a US defence official. Reuters said it could not immediately verify the report, and the White House did not respond to a request for comment.
An announcement that surprised Kyiv
The report followed Trump’s announcement on Sunday of an “ENERGY CEASEFIRE” in the war, “effective immediately”, which he said both sides had agreed.
“Effective immediately, there is an ENERGY CEASEFIRE in the War between Russia and Ukraine. Both parties have agreed. Do not break it!” Trump wrote.
Volodymyr Zelensky told Axios the announcement was “news for me” and said Ukraine would accept a ceasefire if Trump had negotiated one with Vladimir Putin. Britain and Canada said they backed an energy ceasefire. A White House official said the announcement referred to both sides ceasing attacks on oil refineries, with a halt to strikes on power plants and energy grids possibly to follow.
Moscow silent, Kyiv reports violations
By Monday, Russia had still not confirmed any deal. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said “contacts are ongoing” and that he had “nothing to add”. Ukraine says Russian attacks have continued. Zelensky said Russia struck a power plant in Kyiv and energy facilities in the Kharkiv region after Trump’s post. NBC News reported a further strike on an energy facility on the outskirts of Kharkiv on Monday morning.
In a live-streamed address on Monday, Zelensky said Ukraine would respond if Russia did not agree to the ceasefire. He said more Russian jet-powered Shahed drones had entered Ukrainian skies all morning, calling this “Putin’s answer to Trump”. He offered to sign guarantees if the Americans needed them.
The EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, welcomed the prospect of a ceasefire but warned against easing pressure on Russia.
Trump had announced a similar ceasefire in September, which the FT reported Moscow had never agreed to. Two senior Ukrainian officials told the daily that they believed it was meant to show Americans, weary of rising fuel costs, that he was working to bring prices down.
The diesel deal behind the pressure
On Friday, Trump announced after a conversation with Putin that Russia would supply large volumes of diesel to US and global markets. NWS reported that a temporary US Treasury licence would let certain Russian diesel cargoes already loaded on tankers be delivered without US sanctions applying until April 2027. It also reported that the announcement came as Ukrainian and European diplomats were in Miami for talks with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Zelensky said the arrangement “looks like a happy birthday present for Putin”, who turned 74 this week. Ukraine’s embassy in Washington called it “a weak decision by strong partners” and said Ukrainian negotiators had been “used as a smokescreen”. Zelensky has also pushed back on blame for high energy prices, attributing the larger problem to the conflict in the Middle East.
On Saturday, Trump lashed out at Zelensky, saying it was “time for Ukraine to get a new president” who would settle the war. Zelensky replied that Ukrainians, not Washington, choose their leader. On ABC’s “This Week” he said he would organise elections if Putin agreed to a 60-day total ceasefire.
Most analysts believe that Trump’s decisions are likely motivated by immediate circumstances instead of a formal policy shift.
Why the refineries matter to both sides
Washington and Kyiv disagree about what the strikes achieve. Trump argues they push up diesel prices. Kyiv sees them as a way to cut the revenues that fund Russia’s war. Zelensky has said Ukraine will stop only if Russia ends its attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, which Moscow has repeatedly refused to do. With winter approaching, that infrastructure is a pressing concern for Ukrainian civilians.
NWS reported that the US-Israeli war with Iran and disruption around the Strait of Hormuz had already pushed fuel costs up. It cited an AAA average of $6.28 a gallon for US diesel on October 9, against about $3.68 a year earlier. Analysts, however, doubted that the extra Russian supply would lower prices much, saying cargoes could simply be diverted from existing customers.
There is, however, opposition to Trump’s decision within the US. Senate Democrats Chuck Schumer, Jeanne Shaheen and Elizabeth Warren, along with Republican Don Bacon, condemned the waiver as undermining the sanctions policy Congress had just endorsed.
Whether Moscow confirms an energy ceasefire, and whether it covers power plants as well as refineries, will determine if the announcement means anything. The European response to the reported US threats will also matter, since Europe funds much of the weapons supply the US is said to be holding over Kyiv. An EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting is due to discuss further sanctions on Russia.
