US threatens to cut Ukraine intelligence, weapons supplies over Russian energy strikes

trump zelenskyy meet


US threatens to cut Ukraine intelligence, weapons supplies over Russian energy strikes
US President Donald Trump met Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The United States has threatened to suspend intelligence sharing with Ukraine and halt European purchases of American weapons for Kyiv unless Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stops attacks on Russian energy facilities, CNN reported, citing two European officials.The reported warning comes as US President Donald Trump says Russia and Ukraine have agreed to an “energy ceasefire”, even as Zelenskyy accuses Moscow of continuing attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. Russia, meanwhile, has yet to explicitly confirm that it has accepted the proposed arrangement.According to two European officials cited by CNN, the US administration has warned Ukraine and its European allies that Washington could suspend intelligence sharing and halt a mechanism through which European countries purchase American weapons for Kyiv. The warnings were reportedly conveyed over the weekend by the State Department and the Pentagon, including through direct communications between the US military and Ukrainian commanders.A US official said American negotiators had reminded Kyiv that Washington was providing weapons and intelligence and that Ukraine should not take actions that hurt American consumers. Another source familiar with the matter said the US had threatened to cut intelligence sharing. The Financial Times first reported the threats.The reported warnings come amid Trump’s anger over Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries, which have added to tensions between the US president and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump has repeatedly called for both countries to stop targeting energy facilities, citing the impact of the war on global fuel prices. Those pressures have been compounded by the US war with Iran.The potential suspension of support could have serious consequences for Ukraine. American intelligence helps its forces detect incoming Russian ballistic missiles and identify launch sites, giving them more time to respond. A halt to weapons purchases under the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL), a mechanism through which Nato allies finance the purchase of US arms for Ukraine, could also affect supplies of Patriot interceptor missiles, which Kyiv needs to defend against intensifying Russian missile and drone attacks.A Nato official told CNN on Monday that weapons supplies through PURL were continuing. The US had previously suspended intelligence sharing with Ukraine in March 2025 after a heated meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy at the White House. Sharing resumed after Kyiv agreed to a proposed US ceasefire during talks in Saudi Arabia.Against this backdrop, Trump announced on Sunday that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to what he called an “energy ceasefire”, offering little detail about its terms. The announcement appeared to catch Kyiv by surprise, while Moscow has yet to explicitly confirm that it has accepted the arrangement.

Zelenskyy says Russia continued attacks

Zelenskyy said on Monday that Ukraine was prepared to stop attacking Russian energy infrastructure but accused Moscow of continuing to strike Ukrainian energy facilities even after Trump’s announcement.Speaking at the Warsaw Security Forum in Poland, Zelenskyy said Ukraine had been “horribly surprised” by Russian strikes on a power plant in Kharkiv, a gas production facility and a civilian gas station in the hours after the US president announced the proposed ceasefire.The Ukrainian president later told Fox News Channel’s “America’s Newsroom” that Kyiv had refrained from attacking Russian energy sites since Sunday’s announcement and was ready to honour the arrangement. He described the proposed halt to energy attacks as “a good first step” towards ending the war.But Zelenskyy expressed doubt over whether Russian President Vladimir Putin would reciprocate.“I’m not sure that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is ready,” he said.“Even after yesterday’s messages from (Trump) … Putin attacked our gas infrastructure,” Zelenskyy said. “When we speak about energy ceasefire, it means only one thing: that they don’t attack our energy infrastructure and we don’t respond on their energy infrastructure.”Trump’s announcement on social media had declared that the ceasefire took effect immediately, adding, “Do not break it!” However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined on Monday to confirm whether Moscow had agreed to the arrangement, saying only that “Contacts are ongoing”.Zelenskyy’s comments came amid a separate dispute over elections in Ukraine. Trump recently suggested that Kyiv should choose a new leader, prompting the Ukrainian president to say that a 60-day ceasefire could allow Ukraine to hold presidential elections.Zelenskyy has argued that elections are currently unfeasible because of continued Russian attacks. He has called for a “full ceasefire”, saying the security situation makes it impossible to organise a vote while strikes continue day and night.

Lavrov says Ukraine does not deserve respite

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov pushed back against Zelenskyy’s position, arguing that a ceasefire would give Ukraine time to replenish its military supplies with help from European countries.Speaking at a news conference, Lavrov claimed that European countries would use any pause in fighting to “pump [Ukraine] with new weapons” so that Kyiv could continue the war.He also dismissed Zelenskyy’s surprise at Trump’s announcement, describing the Ukrainian leader’s reaction as “fake”. Lavrov accused Zelenskyy of exploiting diplomatic initiatives to secure a temporary break in hostilities rather than pursue a lasting settlement.“I don’t think he deserves a respite,” Lavrov said, adding, “I don’t think we will again buy into these assurances and promises.”The opposing statements underline the uncertainty surrounding the proposed energy ceasefire. While Kyiv says it is willing to stop attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, Moscow has not clearly committed to the same terms. Meanwhile, Washington’s reported threats to restrict intelligence and weapons support have added another layer of pressure on Ukraine as it seeks to defend its territory and maintain Western backing.For now, Trump’s announcement has not translated into a clearly agreed and mutually observed halt to attacks on energy infrastructure, leaving the prospects for a wider ceasefire uncertain.



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