Amid deepening differences with US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced that Ukraine will no longer abide by Trump’s directive not to attack Russian oil refineries. He alleged that Moscow itself is violating the US proposal to halt attacks on Russian energy infrastructure. As ties with Washington come under strain, Zelenskyy has intensified efforts to rally European backing for Ukraine.
The rift has been aggravated by Trump’s recent decision to ease sanctions on Russia, a move intended to enable Russia to release large volumes of diesel into the global market. Meanwhile, intensified Russian attacks are disrupting electricity supply in Ukraine, and problems with the US-provided satellite communication system are hampering the Ukrainian army’s ability to counter Russian strikes. Ukrainian defence officials said the US had warned it would stop sharing intelligence if Ukraine continued long-range attacks on Russian oil facilities.
In Brussels, Zelenskyy met NATO chief Mark Rutte and held talks with several European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron. He is also due to attend the European Union summit on Friday, where he has urged greater pressure on Russia to end the war and more defence assistance for Ukraine. Macron said it was vital to provide Ukraine with all the resources it needs to defend itself, while Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk assured that Ukraine is not alone.
Zelenskyy accused Russia of ignoring the US-proposed energy ceasefire, saying a Russian drone attack on energy infrastructure in Lutsk had disrupted power supply. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, for his part, criticised Ukraine’s continued strikes on Russian refineries as undermining American peace efforts.
Restrictions on the Starshield satellite communication system used by the Ukrainian military have further heightened tensions. SpaceX chief Elon Musk said his company had not caused any disruption to the system, stating that Starshield is under US government control and that decisions on its use are taken by the US military and the President.