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The U.S. has announced its decision to provide Ukraine with intelligence that will assist in targeting Russia’s energy infrastructure, including refineries, pipelines, and power plants. This strategic support aims to diminish Moscow’s financial resources for the ongoing conflict. While the U.S. has historically shared intelligence with Kyiv, this development is expected to facilitate more precise strikes against key energy targets, thereby cutting off vital revenue for Russia’s war efforts.
Additionally, the United States is urging NATO allies to offer comparable assistance in supporting Ukraine’s military operations.
President Donald Trump has been actively pushing European nations to cease their purchases of Russian oil, advocating for tougher sanctions on Moscow to curtail its funding for the invasion of Ukraine. Trump’s efforts include pressuring countries like Turkey and India to stop importing Russian crude, with the goal of squeezing Russia’s economy further.
Neither the White House nor Ukrainian or Russian UN representatives immediately commented on this situation when contacted. According to officials cited by the Wall Street Journal, the approval for enhanced intelligence sharing came just before Trump posted a social media message suggesting that Ukraine might retake all territories occupied by Russia—a notable shift in tone favoring Kyiv.
In terms of military support, the U.S. is considering supplying Kyiv with Tomahawk cruise missiles, which have a range capable of reaching Moscow and much of European Russia if launched from Ukraine. Ukraine is also developing its own long-range missile called the Flamingo, although details about its production and deployment remain limited.
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, citing a “special military operation” to halt Ukraine’s Western-leaning geopolitical stance and what Moscow perceives as NATO’s eastward expansion. Ukraine and its European allies view the invasion as an imperialistic land grab.
This marks the first occasion where the U.S. will assist Ukraine in conducting long-range strikes deep into Russian territory targeting energy infrastructure. Because energy revenue remains Russia’s primary source of war funding, energy exports such as oil and gas are central to Western sanctions initiatives.
President Trump has also taken steps to exert pressure on India through tariffs on imports and has sought to influence Turkey to cease buying Russian oil too. Moscow’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded last week that Russia operates based on its sovereignty and that trade decisions are up to individual nations.
Meanwhile, the Group of Seven finance ministers announced plans to collaboratively increase pressure on Russia by targeting entities and countries continuing to purchase Russian oil or attempting to evade sanctions through circumvention measures.