During talks in Miami, US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner warned the Ukrainian delegation that access to US intelligence could be cut off if Ukraine continued to attack Russian refineries. At the same time, a US official denied that Washington had made such a threat.
During talks in Miami, US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner warned the Ukrainian delegation that access to US intelligence could be cut off if Ukraine continued to attack Russian refineries. At the same time, a US official denied that Washington had made such a threat.
The administration of US President Donald Trump may have threatened to cut off intelligence sharing with Ukraine over the strikes on Russian oil refineries, Axios reported, citing US and Ukrainian officials.
According to a Ukrainian official, during negotiations in Miami, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the US president’s son-in-law, warned the Ukrainian side that the US could deprive Ukraine of access to its intelligence system if the strikes on Russian refineries continued.
However, a US official familiar with the talks denied that Witkoff and Kushner made such a threat. According to him, the American side emphasized that the US remains an important partner for Ukraine, including in the supply of ammunition and intelligence, and Kyiv should not resort to actions that harm American consumers.
According to Axios, Trump has repeatedly asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to stop attacks on Russian oil refining infrastructure. The American official claims that Kyiv ignored about six such requests.
Washington believes that the strikes on Russian refineries are affecting the global fuel market and contributing to rising prices in the U.S. One American official explained the administration’s position as follows: the attacks harm Russia, but at the same time have negative consequences for the United States.
At the same time, the American side, according to the publication, does not consider Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries equivalent to Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
The dispute escalated after Trump announced an agreement with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin to supply diesel fuel to the US and the global market.
According to Reuters, Russia is to immediately deliver more than 300,000 tons of diesel fuel. Trump also announced further deliveries, including 500,000 tons in November. The American president linked the agreement to the need to increase the supply of fuel on the market.
Zelensky, in an interview with Axios, called Trump’s decision to ease restrictions on Russian diesel exports "unfair and dishonest." The Ukrainian president noted that he could support easing energy sanctions as part of an agreement that would include an end to attacks on energy infrastructure on both sides.
The talks in Miami lasted about eight hours. Representatives of Ukraine, the United States, and European partners participated in them. Topics of discussion included security guarantees for Ukraine, possible territorial solutions, post-war reconstruction, and Ukraine’s future relations with NATO and the EU.
According to Axios, Witkoff and Kushner are considering visiting Kyiv and Moscow next week to discuss new proposals for ending the war. However, it is not yet known how the dispute over the refinery strikes and the diesel agreement will affect further negotiations.
Earlier, on October 3, Zelensky told Reuters that Ukraine would intensify strikes on Russian oil refineries in response to Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure.
