Trump ignores Russian strikes on US businesses in Ukraine
Donald Trump, President of the US (photo: Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump and his administration are silent regarding Russian strikes on American businesses in Ukraine. At the same time, they are demanding that Ukraine stop strikes on Russian oil refineries, arguing that this harms US consumers, according to CNN.
Trump remains silent
Over the past few months, Russia has intensified its attacks on facilities associated with American corporations and on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine in general.
According to Andy Hunder, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine, Russian missiles and drones have damaged facilities belonging to, among others:
- Coca-Cola
- PepsiCo
- McDonald's
- Oreo
"This is a direct hit with drones and missiles, and they keep hitting them. It’s sending a message that they’re targeting American business. We’re not seeing any response from the White House," he said.
According to Hunder, such actions must be stopped because these are American interests, American money, and American investors who are being hit and targeted.
Signals for the US
In early September, a Russian Shahed drone struck a Coca-Cola plant near Kyiv. At the time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called this a "clear signal" to the US.
On September 25, Russian forces destroyed a warehouse used by McDonald's with a drone. McDonald's Ukraine stated that due to the damage, its restaurants are offering a reduced menu.
In a statement in late August, PepsiCo acknowledged damage to a production facility in the Mykolaiv region, but reported no casualties.
"Some businesses do want us to raise this," Hunder says, but others “are treading very carefully.”
Politicians urge Trump
Several US lawmakers from the Democratic Party have publicly called on the White House to do more to protect American businesses in Ukraine and to condemn Moscow's actions.
Ukraine has highlighted these attacks as another reason to strengthen defense support. This is necessary to adequately protect American companies on the ground, CNN writes.
Trump administration demands from Ukraine
CNN notes that the Trump administration has repeatedly demanded that Ukraine stop strikes on Russian energy infrastructure.
In February, they warned Kyiv that its strikes on a Russian oil facility in the Black Sea in late 2025 had impacted US investments in Kazakhstan.
In recent weeks, Trump has blamed Ukraine's strikes on Russian diesel facilities for rising fuel prices, a situation he claimed was caused by the war between the US and Iran.
Last Friday, he announced an agreement to lift sanctions and purchase diesel fuel from Russia, which contradicts US law.
The US has also threatened to restrict intelligence sharing and ammunition supplies to Ukraine if Kyiv does not halt these strikes, CNN sources reported.
What to do
Hunder told CNN that he finds it difficult to understand the administration's relative silence on this issue.
“Any company, any business, wants to have some sort of protection. You would expect your government to stand up in your corner and fight the fight with you, especially if it’s a foreign military that is attacking the American companies," he said.
Hunder said that the American Chamber of Commerce sent a message last month requesting a meeting with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. They want to inform them about the state of American business in Ukraine.
“We didn’t get any response on that," he said.
On September 25, a warehouse belonging to a logistics partner of McDonald's was attacked by a drone. The strike occurred in the Kyiv region.
Furthermore, on September 3, Russian forces struck a Coca-Cola plant in the Kyiv region with a drone, causing damage to it.
