Trump urges Ukraine to stop refinery strikes as he considers older Patriot missile license
U.S. President Donald Trump says he has asked Volodymyr Zelensky to halt Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries, arguing they are driving up diesel prices, while confirming Washington is only weighing a less advanced Patriot interceptor license for Kyiv.
Donald Trump is tying Ukraine’s battlefield tactics directly to fuel prices and the kind of weapons Washington is willing to share.
During a press gaggle aboard Air Force One, the U.S. president said he has asked Volodymyr Zelensky not to target Russian refineries and diesel facilities, arguing that such strikes are pushing up diesel prices because fuel is “having a hard time coming out of Russia.” The comments underline how attacks on Russian energy infrastructure are now seen in Washington not just as military pressure on Moscow, but as a factor in global energy costs.
At the same time, Trump said Washington is discussing whether to give Ukraine a license to produce Patriot interceptor missiles, but only an older version. He described it as “a less sophisticated version” and “a much less sophisticated one” than the systems Ukraine has requested. That would mean any deal under discussion involves downgraded technology, not the most advanced Patriot variants already in U.S. service.
For Kyiv, this combination points to a balancing act: Ukrainian forces are being pressed by their main backer to ease off attacks on Russian fuel infrastructure, while the U.S. considers offering only a reduced Patriot capability rather than the high-end systems Ukraine has sought.
What matters next is whether Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries actually decrease following Trump’s remarks, and whether Washington moves from “discussions” to a concrete decision on Patriot production and the specific version Ukraine would be allowed to build.
Sources
- OSINT