Ukraine is prepared to suspend attacks on Russian oil refineries, as US President Donald Trump has requested, if the United States quickly supplies it with Patriot air defense missiles. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this in an interview with Fox News on November 1.
Zelensky said he had discussed the issue with Trump and his associates. He told journalist Trey Yingst that Ukraine cannot give up retaliating as long as Russia is killing its citizens and striking the power grid, gas infrastructure, refineries and other parts of the energy sector.
Të lidhura
None found
According to the Ukrainian president, halting attacks on Russian refineries would require Russia to stop striking Ukraine’s energy system as well. As another option, he mentioned the supply of Patriot missiles, stressing that Ukraine would secure the money and pay for them rather than simply ask for aid.
If the US supplies Ukraine with Patriot missiles for one month, Zelensky said, his country would suspend attacks on Russian refineries for one month as well.
On October 30, the US State Department announced that it had approved the sale of missiles for Ukraine’s Patriot air defense systems, worth $2.1 billion. Ukraine urgently needs these missiles, which are intended to strengthen its defenses against Russia’s increasingly frequent air attacks.
However, Zelensky warned that the arrival of 500 interceptor missiles could take “several years.” In a social media post, he described the number of 500 PAC-3 interceptor missiles as substantial and said they could provide an effective defense package this winter. Deliveries, he said, could begin only after several years.
For this reason, the Ukrainian president said he had asked US partners for a solution for the interim period, when the danger is real and the need for PAC-3 interceptor missiles is urgent.
Alex Plitsas, a fellow at the Atlantic Council and a former Pentagon official, called the announcement about the Patriot missiles significant but said it did not meet Ukraine’s immediate needs. Russia continues to attack energy infrastructure to terrorize civilians and force Ukraine to surrender, he said, as the population faces the winter cold.
The PAC-3 interceptor missiles used by the US Patriot system are among the few Western weapons capable of shooting down the ballistic missiles Russia launches at Ukrainian cities.
Trump, who is facing political pressure over the sharp rise in US energy prices, has called for an energy-sector ceasefire. He has urged Russia and Ukraine to stop attacks on infrastructure in the sector.
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and has resisted calls for a ceasefire. As the potentially harsh winter months approach, it has intensified its strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure and civilian facilities.
Ukraine, for its part, has attacked Russian energy infrastructure, which it says supports Moscow’s war against it. Fuel shortages and long lines at filling stations have been reported across Russia.
Meanwhile, both countries have reported suspected cyberattacks on systems they use to warn and inform their citizens. It is not known whether the incidents are connected.
Ukraine’s Air Force said it suspected hackers had interfered with its air-raid warning system, but said the system had returned to normal operation. On November 1, it urged citizens to remain calm and follow its announcements, as it appeared someone had gained unauthorized access to the warning app.
The following day, Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations announced on Telegram that its app had been targeted in a large-scale cyberattack. The attackers had managed to distribute false information to citizens through the app, the ministry said.
There is no evidence linking the two incidents. Russian media have also reported several other hacker attacks on websites in Russia in recent days.
