Tensions flare in Miami talks as US threatens Ukraine over Russian oil refinery attacks

United States officials have intensified pressure on Ukraine to halt long-range drone strikes on Russian oil refineries, threatening to sever vital intelligence-sharing if Kyiv ignores Washington’s warning, according to a report by the Financial Times.

​The ultimatum was delivered during an eight-hour meeting in Miami between Ukrainian delegates and U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The negotiations were derailed when U.S. President Donald Trump announced a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to release diesel onto global markets and lift U.S. sanctions on Russian diesel exports.

​Witkoff and Kushner issued the warning directly to their counterparts, with one Ukrainian negotiator revealing, “It was a firm request from POTUS.” However, Ukrainian officials pushed back against the unilateral restriction, warning that the policy severely damages bilateral relations. A senior Ukrainian official stated that the move had “ruin[ed] the trust completely” between the two sides, affirming that Ukraine would persist: “We will burn [Russian] refineries.” Shortly after, Ukrainian forces attacked the Yug Rusi oil terminal in Rostov-on-Don and cut their Miami trip short.

​The policy shift triggered sharp criticism in Ukraine amid fresh Russian missile barrages. Following strikes on Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy cautioned, “What allowing Russia to sell oil products means was heard most clearly in Kyiv just now,” adding that “every additional billion dollars [Russia] can earn from exports will be spent on nothing but sourcing and importing critical components and equipment to manufacture weapons.”

​Oleksandr Merezhko, chair of the Ukrainian parliament’s foreign affairs committee, stated that “President Trump’s decision seriously undermines [the] reputation of the US and his credibility as a president, because this decision might lead to strengthening [the] Russian war machine.” EU chief diplomat Kaja Kallas also reaffirmed European opposition, emphasizing that “this is not the time to ease pressure on Russia, and Europe won’t.”