Sikorski: European NATO could destroy half of Russia's oil refineries without US if Russia attacks
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said at the YES conference in Ukraine and on X that the European members of NATO alone, without the United States, could destroy half of Russia's oil refineries faster than Ukraine has, if Russia attacked the Alliance. He publicly disagreed with US President Donald Trump's call on Volodymyr Zelensky to halt Ukrainian strikes on Russian diesel-fuel infrastructure, and later clarified that he still stands by his assessment. The Russian Foreign Ministry dismissed the remarks as "Russophobia of the brain."
Key points
- Sikorski made the claim at the YES conference in Ukraine and on X after visiting the country.
- He said European NATO air forces, without US participation, could destroy half of Russia's oil refineries faster than Ukraine has done.
- At the conference he cited an "overwhelming advantage" in aviation and modern long-range weapons.
- Sikorski publicly disagreed with Trump's call on Zelensky to stop strikes on Russian diesel-fuel infrastructure.
- On 13 September he said the security of Poland and Ukraine are inseparably linked.
- He later clarified that he meant European NATO members acting without the US, and added: "I still believe this."
- Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called the statement "Russophobia of the brain."
Why it matters
Sikorski's statement quantifies a European-NATO-only capability against Russian strategic oil infrastructure, framed as a deterrent message directed at Moscow. It also sets up a direct public clash with US President Donald Trump over whether Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy targets should continue, with Sikorski siding against Trump's call to Zelensky. Moscow's sharp reaction indicates the statement is being read in the Kremlin as a hostile threat rather than routine rhetoric.
What happened
Speaking at the YES conference in Ukraine on 13 September, and afterwards on his X account, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said that the European members of NATO alone, even without the United States, could destroy half of Russia's oil refineries faster than Ukraine has if Russia attacked the Alliance. He framed this around what he called an overwhelming advantage in aviation and modern long-range weapons. On the same day he said that the security of Poland and Ukraine are inseparably linked, and that Ukraine and Poland would not allow Russia to dominate them.
Sikorski also publicly disagreed with US President Donald Trump's call on President Volodymyr Zelensky to halt Ukrainian strikes on Russian diesel-fuel infrastructure, which Trump said were causing shortages. Sikorski later clarified on social media that his claim referred specifically to European NATO members without US participation, and added that he still believes it. The Russian Foreign Ministry reacted through spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, who called the statement "Russophobia of the brain," as quoted by TASS.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian-language coverage frames Sikorski's remarks as a demonstration of European solidarity with Ukraine and as an implicit rebuke of Trump's pressure on Zelensky. Reporting emphasizes the YES conference setting and Sikorski's affirmation that Polish and Ukrainian security are inseparably linked. The hostile reaction from the Russian Foreign Ministry is highlighted to underline how the statement landed in Moscow.
Where reporting differs
Sikorski's original wording about what European NATO aviation could do to Russian oil refineries was read by some audiences as ambiguous; he later clarified that he meant European NATO members acting without the United States, and said he still stands by the claim. Sikorski also publicly disagreed with Trump's call on Zelensky to halt strikes on Russian diesel-fuel infrastructure, while the US position, as reported, is that those strikes are causing shortages.
Background
Sikorski made the remarks after a visit to Ukraine and at the YES conference held there. Separately, US President Donald Trump had called on President Volodymyr Zelensky to stop Ukrainian strikes on Russian diesel-fuel infrastructure, saying they were causing a shortage, which Sikorski said he disagreed with. Ukraine's own campaign against Russian oil-refining capacity is the benchmark Sikorski used, comparing six months of Ukrainian strikes to a claimed six weeks for European NATO aviation.