The Financial Times has learned that it was US leader Donald Trump who ordered his team to help Ukraine carry out successful attacks on Russian oil refineries. This campaign was never publicly disclosed.
Points of attention
- The alleged involvement of the Trump team in setting priority targets for Ukrainians and planning operations reveals a hidden aspect of the US strategy in the region.
- The revelation of this covert campaign, prompted by a July phone call between Trump and Zelensky, sheds light on efforts to make the Russians 'feel pain' in order to force negotiations with the Kremlin.
The US is helping Ukraine destroy the Russian economy
According to anonymous sources, it is American intelligence that enables Ukraine to carry out successful attacks on important Russian energy facilities, in particular refineries located deep in the rear.
This powerful support, which has been growing since mid-summer, has never been revealed until now.
The turning point was the telephone conversation between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky in July.
It was then that the head of the White House wondered whether Ukraine could strike Moscow if Washington provided long-range weapons.
Trump said he supported a strategy that would "make them (the Russians) feel pain" and force the Kremlin to negotiate, two sources familiar with the conversation said. The White House later said Trump was "simply asking questions, not encouraging further killing."
According to insiders, US intelligence helps the Ukrainian Armed Forces shape route planning, altitude, timing, and mission decisions — this allows Ukrainian long-range drones to evade Russian air defenses.
Moreover, it is indicated that the Trump team sometimes sets priority targets for Ukrainians and is involved in operations at all stages of planning.
