Report: US also threatens to cut off intelligence sharing with Kyiv
Ukrainian officials say US counterparts warned Kyiv's military leadership that strikes on Russian refineries could cost it intelligence and the PURL programme.
Archive image · Photo: White House Rapid Response / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (cropped and resized)
The US administration threatened Ukrainian military officials in order to protect Russian oil refineries from attack, according to two Ukrainian officials. Ukraine would be held responsible if Russian energy facilities were hit during the energy ceasefire announced by President Donald Trump, the Kyiv Independent reported on Monday. "They called all the top military officials with threats," the paper quoted one of the officials as saying. Another said the US was telling everyone it would "turn off both the intelligence sharing and PURL".
According to a further official, deputy head of the presidential office Pavlo Palisa and commander-in-chief Mykhailo Drapatyi received calls from the American side. Through the Europe-led PURL initiative, financed mainly by NATO members, Ukraine received $6.7 billion in weapons in its first year. Direct US military aid has been suspended since Trump took office, but intelligence sharing had continued.
Reports had already emerged on Sunday that Washington was threatening to halt weapons purchases. The new element is the threat to cut off intelligence as well. There was no official confirmation from Washington at first. A White House official told Axios only that the truce covers oil refineries and that a broader deal including the power grid could follow.