Trump wants to start energy ceasefire with halting strikes on oil refineries - Axios
The "energy ceasefire" between Ukraine and Russia announced by US President Donald Trump actually so far concernsa potential agreement on mutual cessation of strikes on oil refineries. Washington considers stopping attacks on power plants and power grids only as the next stage of negotiations.
Axios reports this citing a White House official who revealed details of the American proposal.
According to the source, the Trump administration proposes an agreement on the principle of "refinery for refinery" and expects Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to adhere to it. If both sides stop attacks on oil refineries, the next step could be a deal to protect power plants and power grids.
At the same time, Russia has not yet agreed even to such a limited ceasefire format. The White House official notedthat Moscow is only considering the American proposal, and its final response is expected soon.
For Ukraine, the proposed terms are unequal. A Ukrainian official explained to Axios that the country has only one oil refinery, which has repeatedly suffered Russian strikes and is still not operating at full capacity. Instead, Russia has an extensive network of refineries that have become targets of Ukrainian long-range attacks.
The source stressed that Ukraine imports diesel fuel and gasoline, so its main interest is not in protecting its own oil refining, but in stopping Russian strikes on power grids.
Recall that on October 11, Trump announced on Truth Social that Ukraine and Russia had allegedly agreed to an immediate energy ceasefire, which has already come into effect. However, neither side confirmed reaching such a deal, and Russian troops soon after the US president's statement again attacked Ukrainian energy facilities.
Zelenskyy in a comment to Axios said that Trump's announcement was news to him. At the same time, he confirmed Ukraine's readiness to support the energy ceasefire if Russia agrees to it. Later, the Ukrainian president said that Kyiv expects specific details of the proposed agreement from Washington.
The American initiative emerged against the backdrop of increased pressure on Kyiv over strikes on Russian refineries. Trump believes that these attacks contribute to rising fuel prices in the US. On October 9, he also announced a deal with Russia to ease sanctions on Russian diesel fuel exports.
According to the Financial Times, American officials during contacts with Kyiv and European capitals warned about the possible suspension of intelligence sharing and blocking of the PURL mechanism, through which NATO allies purchase American weapons for Ukraine. Such measures allegedly could be applied if Ukraine continues to attack Russian oil refineries.
Separately, a Ukrainian official told Axios that during negotiations in Miami on October 9, American representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner also warned about the possible suspension of intelligence sharing if Trump's demands are ignored.
At the same time, an American official denied that such a threat was made at the meeting. According to him, Witkoff and Kushner stressed that the US remains an important partner of Ukraine, providing it with weapons and intelligence, and therefore Kyiv should not take actions that harm American consumers.
Amid escalating tensions between Washington and Kyiv, Witkoff and Kushner also postponed their planned trip to Moscow. According to Axios, American envoys are awaiting clarity on the readiness of Ukraine and European partners to agree on a joint proposal for Vladimir Putin.
Based on: Axios, Financial Times, Axios