The Trump administration is threatening to halt the mechanism that supplies Ukraine with US weapons to press Kyiv to stop striking Russian energy infrastructure, according to European officials. Trump separately announced an energy ceasefire that Kyiv said it had not heard of.
The Trump administration is threatening to stop the procurement system that provides Ukraine with weapons, according to officials in Europe. Washington wants Kyiv to halt its deep strikes on Russian energy infrastructure.
US lobbies Europe and Kyiv over refinery attacks
Officials who received calls from American officials on Saturday and Sunday, or were briefed on them, said the US was lobbying European capitals and Kyiv to end the attacks on Russian oil refineries. The White House declined to confirm or comment on the calls.
The officials added that the message also included threats to cut off intelligence sharing and Purl, the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List. Purl is a Nato-managed initiative through which Kyiv's allies buy US-made weapons that are then supplied to Ukraine, and the US makes no financial contribution to the fund.
Trump announces an energy ceasefire Kyiv had not heard of
On Sunday, Trump surprised Kyiv and the Europeans his administration had sought to pressure. According to his Truth Social post: "Effective immediately, there is an ENERGY CEASEFIRE in the War between Russia and Ukraine", as the FT reported.
However, the office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said it was unaware of a deal, and it was not immediately clear whether Russia had agreed. A senior Ukrainian official close to Zelenskyy told the FT that repair teams were restoring electricity and water supplies in Kyiv after Russian strikes.
Shortly before Trump's post, Zelenskyy had reiterated his own desire for such a deal in an ABC News interview. The White House also declined to say whether Trump would heed Zelenskyy's proposal to force Russian President Vladimir Putin to accept a total ceasefire for 60 days so that Ukraine could hold elections.
Source: Financial Times
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