Zelensky confirms US threatened to cut intelligence sharing over strikes on Russian oil refineries
President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed in an interview with NPR published on 13 October that the United States warned Ukraine it could halt the sharing of intelligence if Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries continue. He said the warning was delivered to his generals rather than to him directly. US President Donald Trump stated the same day that the United States has not stopped sharing intelligence with Ukraine. Zelensky also said Russia struck Kyiv with ballistic missiles on the evenings of 12 and 13 October without advance warning from partners.
Key points
- Zelensky confirmed in an NPR interview published 13 October that the US threatened to halt intelligence sharing if Ukraine continues attacking Russian energy targets.
- He said the warning was conveyed to his generals, not to him directly, and that intelligence sharing was still ongoing at the time of his statement.
- Trump said on 13 October that the United States has not stopped sharing intelligence with Ukraine.
- Russian ballistic strikes on Kyiv on the evenings of 12 and 13 October were detected only during the attacks, with no advance partner warning, according to Zelensky.
- The US, via a source cited by Politico, attributed the absence of warning to bad weather, a justification Ukrainian officials do not consider sufficient.
- Zelensky said Ukraine will not stop strikes on Russian energy and logistics targets as long as Russia attacks Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
- Trump temporarily lifted sanctions on Russian diesel, allowing Russia to supply 300,000 tonnes to the global market, according to Ukrinform.
Why it matters
The exchange confirms at presidential level that Washington has used the threat of cutting off US intelligence to pressure Ukraine over its strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, tying battlefield decisions to US political conditions. It coincides with reports of a US-declared "energy ceasefire" and the temporary lifting of sanctions on Russian diesel, widening the political dispute over the scope of the war. The reported absence of partner warning before Russian ballistic strikes on Kyiv on 12 and 13 October raises Ukrainian questions about the reliability of US-provided air-threat intelligence. It also sets up a public contradiction between Zelensky and Trump on whether intelligence sharing is actually under threat.
What happened
President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed in an interview with NPR published on 13 October that the United States threatened to halt the sharing of intelligence with Ukraine if Ukrainian forces continue strikes on Russian oil refineries. He said the warning was communicated to his generals rather than to him directly, and that at the military level his commanders had received information that intelligence sharing could be cut. As of his statement, intelligence sharing between the US and Ukraine was still ongoing. US President Donald Trump stated the same day that the United States has not stopped sharing intelligence with Ukraine. Zelensky also said Russia struck Kyiv with ballistic missiles on the evenings of 12 and 13 October, that the launches were detected essentially on approach to the capital, and that partners did not provide advance warning of either attack. The Air Force of Ukraine said that while the initial strikes on those evenings came without partner warning, three subsequent strike waves on the night of 14 October did include partner warnings. Zelensky argued that the main reason for rising fuel prices is the escalation in the Middle East and the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz, and that allowing Russia to export diesel will not lower US fuel prices. Trump temporarily lifted sanctions on Russian diesel, allowing Russia to supply 300,000 tonnes to the global market and to increase export volumes, according to Ukrinform.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
The six supplied Ukrainian outlets center Zelensky's confirmation of the US intelligence threat and his account that the warning was delivered to his generals rather than to him personally. They emphasize the link between the US threat and Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries, and present Zelensky's insistence that Ukraine will not stop strikes on Russian energy targets as long as Russia attacks Ukrainian energy infrastructure. They highlight unanswered questions about why partners did not warn Ukraine about the 12 and 13 October ballistic strikes on Kyiv, and note that the US explanation of bad weather is not considered sufficient in Kyiv. They quote Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha and Air Force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat to underline that intelligence sharing is still continuing while leaving open concerns about its reliability, and they give space to criticism of Trump's "energy truce" and the temporary lifting of sanctions on Russian diesel, presenting Zelensky's argument that these steps will not reduce US fuel prices and were not coordinated with Kyiv.
Where reporting differs
Zelensky publicly confirmed that the US threatened to halt intelligence sharing if strikes on Russian oil refineries continue, while Trump publicly stated that the United States has not stopped sharing intelligence; the underlying question of whether a threat was made and whether sharing was ever at risk of being cut is contested between the two leaders. Zelensky said partners did not warn Ukraine about Russia's ballistic strikes on Kyiv on the evenings of 12 and 13 October, while the United States, through a source cited by Politico, attributed the absence of warning to bad weather — a justification Ukrainian officials do not consider sufficient and which some suspect masked another reason. Zelensky said allowing Russia to export diesel will not lower US fuel prices and blamed the rise in prices on Middle East escalation and the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz, framing the US rationale for the "energy truce" as flawed; US House Speaker Mike Johnson pointed to the Strait of Hormuz factor as well, while Zelensky also said the "energy ceasefire" was apparently fabricated and that he learned of it through social media.
Background
Earlier Financial Times reporting, citing European officials, said the Trump administration demanded Kyiv stop attacks on Russian oil refineries and threatened to halt arms purchases and intelligence sharing. Trump's envoys, including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, reportedly raised the threat of cutting intelligence sharing during a 9 October meeting in Florida with Ukrainian and European representatives, according to earlier media reports cited in the Ukrainian coverage. A 12 October CNN report, citing two European officials, said Washington warned it could suspend both the sharing of intelligence and European purchases of American weapons for Ukraine if strikes on deep Russian energy targets continued. The Kyiv Independent reported on 12 October that US administration representatives pressured Ukrainian military commanders and officials to stop attacks on Russian oil refineries after Trump's "energy truce" announcement. The Air Force of Ukraine noted that while the initial ballistic strikes on Kyiv on 12 and 13 October came without partner warning, three subsequent strike waves on the night of 14 October did include partner warnings. Trump temporarily lifted sanctions on Russian diesel, allowing Russia to supply 300,000 tonnes to the global market and to increase export volumes, according to Ukrinform.