The US is threatening to stop the procurement system that provides Ukraine with weapons in order to press Kyiv to halt its deep strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, the Financial Times reported on Sunday, citing officials in Europe.
The officials, who received calls from US officials or were briefed on them, said that the US was lobbying European capitals and Kyiv to try to end the attacks on Russian oil refineries, the report added.
Reuters could not immediately verify the report. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The message from the US included threats to cut off intelligence sharing and Purl (the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List) mechanism for procuring US weapons for Ukraine, the report added.
“They are calling Kyiv …. They are calling everyone [in Europe],” said an official who received a call from a US defence official, as per the report.
The report comes after US President Donald Trump made a surprise announcement on Sunday of an energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine that he said was “effective immediately,” but Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he was still waiting to see details of the deal.
“Effective immediately, there is an ENERGY CEASEFIRE in the War between Russia and Ukraine. Both parties have agreed. Do not break it!” Trump wrote.
(Reporting by Angela Christy in Bengaluru; Editing by Mark Porter)