To win the war, we must deplete Russia’s military and financial resources, and oil refineries are one of the vital arteries feeding Russia’s war. This was stated by Arseniy Yatsenyuk, Chairman of the Kyiv Security Forum and Prime Minister of Ukraine from 2014 to 2016, in an interview with USA TODAY.
The leading American publication asked him about Trump’s deal with Putin. Yatsenyuk emphasised that this deal has consequences that extend far beyond Ukraine.
“The dictatorial regimes of China, Iran and North Korea see it as a green light for further aggression across the globe – and as a signal that such aggression may even be rewarded by the leader of the free world. Allies are shocked, enemies are emboldened,” noted Chairman of the KSF.
According to him, Russia has secured a geopolitical victory, whilst seeking to return to the European market with its key energy resources – gas and oil. Yatsenyuk also emphasised the importance of strikes against Russian oil infrastructure as a means of weakening the Kremlin’s military capabilities.
Separately, Yatsenyuk expressed concerns about the risk of a cessation of US military and intelligence support for Ukraine. This relates to the exchange of intelligence, access to satellite technologies – in particular Starlink – and the supply of weapons under the PURL programme.
“If the US stops supporting Ukraine through the exchange of intelligence and under the PURL programme – let me remind you that US financial support has already been cut by a staggering 99 per cent – this would effectively mean an open defection to Russia’s side. At this stage, there is no fully-fledged and equivalent alternative to American intelligence capabilities or the weapons we purchase with European funds, rather than receiving them free of charge,” Yatsenyuk emphasised.
Addressing the American people and the US President, the former Prime Minister called on Washington not to withdraw its support for Ukraine. He recalled the US’s obligation to respect Ukraine’s sovereignty following Kyiv’s renunciation of the world’s third-largest nuclear arsenal and called for help in protecting the country from a common enemy – Russia and its allies.