Kyiv offers 30-day halt to strikes on Russian refineries in exchange for U.S. air defence
Key Facts
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said his country had proposed halting strikes on Russian refineries for 30 days in exchange for U.S. assistance with Patriot interceptor missiles to protect its airspace over the same period, according to a statement from the Ukrainian presidency. Zelenskiy presented the proposal during talks with U.S. lawmakers, linking the suspension of attacks on Russian refining facilities to air protection for Ukraine. But he added that Kyiv had "heard no willingness to help with this option either". The Ukrainian president had told lawmakers that Vladimir Putin rejected a proposal to halt strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure in exchange for Ukraine stopping attacks on Russian refineries. The offer follows the resumption of Ukrainian strikes on the refining sector, with Reuters reporting on Friday that Kyiv struck a refinery southeast of Moscow on Thursday, after Zelenskiy announced he was abandoning the energy truce announced by Donald Trump.
On the diplomatic front, Reuters said representatives from Britain, France, Germany and Poland were expected to take part in the Oslo talks on Ukraine. The expected participants also include representatives from the European Union and NATO, according to the agency. Norway said Jared Kushner would join Tuesday's meetings virtually, Reuters reported, citing the Norwegian side. The arrangements are part of preparations for meetings on the war in Ukraine, with U.S. and European participation. However, sources who spoke to Reuters about Steve Witkoff's trip cautioned that the visit's schedule remained tentative and subject to change.
On military supplies, Marco Rubio acknowledged on Tuesday that a batch of interceptor missiles purchased for Ukraine might not be delivered, according to Reuters. His comments concerned a batch bought under the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List programme, through which weapons are purchased for Ukraine. The agency, meanwhile, quoted U.S. officials as denying Ukrainian accusations that support was being slowed. The dispute over services provided to Kyiv includes Starshield, which Ukraine uses for battlefield communications, according to the Reuters report. Ukrainian forces also rely on the system for drone operations, alongside its use for field communications.
Zelenskiy discussed launching joint production of Patriot interceptor missiles with a team from defence company Lockheed Martin, according to a separate statement from the Ukrainian presidency. The discussions covered production of missiles used in air defence, the category for which Kyiv requested assistance under its refinery proposal. During the meeting, the Ukrainian president expressed interest in using licences to produce weapons inside Ukraine. He told the company's team, according to the presidential statement, "We would be very happy to use licences for production in Ukraine." Zelenskiy thus raised domestic production during his talks with the company, alongside discussions on cooperation in interceptor missile production.
On financing, Norway plans to provide Ukraine with 85 billion Norwegian crowns in financial support in fiscal year 2027, according to a Reuters report. The amount is equivalent to $9.2 billion, according to the dollar value cited by the agency in its report on the Norwegian plan. The planned funding is for the next fiscal year, while Ukraine's finance ministry announced grants Kyiv had already received during 2026. The ministry said those Norwegian grants totalled $200 million. The ministry described the funds received as grants, while the announcement of support for next year concerned Norway's plan to provide financing for Ukraine in 2027.
As for the next diplomatic step, Reuters reported that Witkoff intends to travel to Russia to meet President Vladimir Putin. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters the meeting would allow Witkoff to brief Putin on Ukrainian and European positions. Peskov linked that presentation of positions to the anticipated meeting between Witkoff and the Russian president, according to the agency. Before that, Norway announced that Zelenskiy, Stubb and Store would hold a news conference later on Tuesday. The conference is part of the schedule of diplomatic activity in Norway, while arrangements for Witkoff's trip remain subject to change, according to sources who spoke to Reuters.