Estonia to push EU for more aid to Ukraine to strike Russian oil refineries
Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal said he will propose at the next European Council meeting that Estonia and partners rapidly increase aid to Ukraine so it can destroy Russian oil refineries. The call follows an October 9 US-Russia deal on 4.8 million tonnes of Russian diesel and a US Treasury license for diesel trade with Russia valid until April 2027.
Key points
- Estonian PM Kristen Michal will propose increased aid to Ukraine at the next European Council meeting, aimed at destroying Russian oil refineries.
- On October 9 Trump and Putin agreed on supply of 4.8 million tonnes of Russian diesel; the US Treasury issued a license for diesel trade with Russia valid until April 7, 2027.
- Michal called the US-Russia deal a major mistake, saying agreements with dictators are a path to hell and that revenues from Russian fuel sales finance the war against Ukraine.
- Marko Mihkelson, chair of the Estonian parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, condemned the deal and said it will encourage Russia to continue the war and escalate against Europe.
- Estonian Foreign Ministry Secretary General Jonathan Vseviov said giving the aggressor an additional income source will not bring parties closer to a just peace.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky offered a reciprocal deal: Ukraine will not strike Russian refineries if Russia stops attacking Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
Why it matters
Estonia is using the European Council to rally EU partners behind a concrete military goal — strikes on Russian oil infrastructure — at a moment when US policy is moving in the opposite direction. Linking additional Western aid to the destruction of Russian refineries sharpens the European debate over how to cut into Moscow's war revenues.
What happened
Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal said he will raise at the next European Council meeting the question of rapidly increasing aid to Ukraine so that it can destroy Russian oil refineries. The proposal is a response to an October 9 agreement between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin on the supply of 4.8 million tonnes of Russian diesel, for which the US Treasury issued a license valid until April 7, 2027. Michal called the deal a major mistake, said agreements with dictators are a path to hell, and argued that revenues from Russian oil and fuel sales finance the war against Ukraine. Marko Mihkelson, chair of the Riigikogu's Foreign Affairs Committee, condemned the deal and warned it will encourage Russia to keep fighting and escalate against Europe. Jonathan Vseviov, Secretary General of Estonia's Foreign Ministry, said giving the aggressor an additional income source will not bring parties closer to a just peace. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responded by proposing a reciprocal arrangement: Ukraine would refrain from attacking Russian refineries if Russia stopped striking Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian media frame Estonia's proposal as a direct response to the US-Russia diesel deal and foreground Moscow, not Washington, as the beneficiary of continued energy revenues. They emphasize the concrete military effect — turning Russian oil refineries into ruins — as the purpose of any additional aid to Ukraine.
Background
On October 9 the US and Russia agreed on a deal covering 4.8 million tonnes of Russian diesel, and the US Treasury published a license for diesel trade with Russia valid until April 7, 2027. Estonian officials describe the arrangement as contradicting Western efforts to limit Russia's energy revenues and as a means of financing its war. Reports indicate American diplomats have pressured Ukraine to reduce or halt drone strikes on Russian oil refineries; President Volodymyr Zelensky proposed a reciprocal deal under which Ukraine would stop such strikes if Russia stopped attacking Ukrainian energy infrastructure. EU chief diplomat Kaja Kallas said on October 10 the EU intends to approve its largest sanctions package against Russia since the start of the war; Germany said it will maintain sanctions; a US Republican congressman announced a bipartisan bill to block purchases of Russian oil.