US may halt weapons supplies to Ukraine over attacks on Russian oil refineries, FT says
Photo: US President Donald Trump (Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump's team has begun using threats and blackmail in an effort to stop Ukraine's strikes on Russian oil refineries, the Financial Times reports.
Journalists learned that a program through which Ukraine receives US weapons is now at risk.
Sources told the outlet that on October 10 and 11, US officials called Kyiv and European capitals in an attempt to persuade Ukraine to stop striking Russian oil refineries.
During the calls, members of Trump's team threatened to cut off intelligence sharing with Ukraine and suspend the PURL (Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List) mechanism. Under this program, European partners purchase US weapons for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
"They are calling Kyiv . . . they are calling everyone in Europe," said one official who received a call from a representative of the US Department of Defense.
The FT named Pavlo Palisa, deputy head of Ukraine's Presidential Office, among those contacted by US officials.
The White House did not confirm the calls and declined to comment on them.
On October 11, Trump unexpectedly announced an energy ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later said that Kyiv and Moscow had reached no agreement on the matter.
In addition, Zelenskyy reported that Russia had struck the CHP-5 power plant in Kharkiv after Trump's announcement of an energy truce.
